title: The effects of postnatal retinoic acid administration on nephron endowment in the preterm baboon kidney.
abstract: Administration of retinoic acid (RA), the active metabolite of vitamin A, is linked to the stimulation of nephrogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine whether early postnatal administration of RA could enhance ongoing nephrogenesis in a baboon model of premature birth. Unbiased stereological methods were used to estimate kidney volume, renal corpuscle volume, and nephron number. The percentage of abnormal glomeruli and the number of glomerular generations was also determined in the kidneys of preterm control (n = 6) and preterm +RA (n = 6) animals that received 500 microg/kg/d of all-trans RA after premature delivery. There was no significant difference between the preterm control and the preterm +RA groups in kidney size, nephron number (preterm control: 329,924 +/- 41,752; preterm +RA: 354,041 +/- 52,095; p = 0.59), renal corpuscle volume, number of glomerular generations, or the percentage of abnormal glomeruli. The proportion of abnormal glomeruli did not appear to be linked to any elements of postnatal care examined. The results of this study indicate that early postnatal administration of RA is unable to stimulate nephrogenesis in the kidney of the preterm baboon. Encouragingly, it does not appear to have any adverse effects on kidney development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia. Megan.Sutherland@med.monash.edu.au
authors.forename: Megan R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gubhaju
authors.forename: Bradley A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Yoder
authors.forename: Mildred T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Stahlman
authors.forename: M Jane
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Black
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D009399:Nephrons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D009929:Organ Size; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D010215:Papio; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis; D050199:Podocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000032:analysis; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D025721:WT1 Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D014815:Vitamins; D025721:WT1 Proteins; D014212:Tretinoin