title: Immunohistochemical localization of renin, NO synthase-1, and cyclooxygenase-2 in rodent kidney.
abstract: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) are central to the maintenance of blood pressure and body fluid composition. Renin, NO synthase-1 (NOS-1), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) are key regulators of the RAS and TGF. In the present study, to investigate species-specific differences in the RAS and TGF, we immunohistochemically and morphometrically investigated the localization of renin, NOS-1, and COX-2 in the kidneys of various laboratory rodents and comparing males with females (DBA/2Cr mice, F344/N rats, Syrian hamsters, MON/JmsGbs gerbils and Hartley guinea pigs). In all animals, renin-positive immunoreactions were observed in the vascular walls of afferent arterioles. Renin immunoreactions appeared to be more widely distributed in mice. Mice had a greater number of renin-positive arterioles than other species. NOS-1-positive reactions were detected in the macula densa (MD) of all animals. Mice had the greatest number of NOS-1-positive MD cells. In addition to NOS-1-positive reactions, COX-2-positive reactions were observed in the MD of mice, rats, hamsters and gerbils. Interestingly, guinea pigs had no COX-2-positive MD cells. Rats had the greatest number of COX-2-positive MD cells. In nephron segments excluding the MD, the immunohistochemical localization of NOS-1 and COX-2 differed markedly among not only species but also sexes within the same species. In conclusion, we determined that localization of renin, NOS-1, and COX-2 showed large species- and sex-related differences. These data suggest that the regulation mechanisms of the RAS and TGF via renin, NOS-1, and COX-2 differ among rodents.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ichii
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yabuki
authors.forename: Toshimichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ojima
authors.forename: Mitsuharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Shusaku
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D010503:Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012083:Renin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D012083:Renin