Mast cell infiltration is involved in renal interstitial fibrosis in a rat model of protein-overload nephropathy.
OBJECTIVE
The present study investigated the relationship between mast cells (MCs) and the protein expression of stem cell factor (SCF) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the regions of renal interstitial fibrosis with protein-overload nephropathy, in order to provide a good animal model to study the mechanism of renal fibrosis induced by proteinuria.


METHODS
60 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a bovine serum albumin (BSA) group and a control group. The intensity of MCs infiltration was examined by toluidine blue and chymase and tryptase staining. The protein expression of SCF and TGF-β1 was respectively examined by immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining.


RESULTS
Severe proteinuria was induced in rats of the BSA group. Expression of SCF and TGF-β1 was detected in the tubular and the interstitial cells. The number of MCs positively correlated with the severity of interstitial lesions and the expression of SCF and TGF-β1.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrated that in protein-overload nephropathy, MCs infiltrated into the kidney, and the expression of SCF and TGF-β1 gradually increased. They might play important roles in the development of renal interstitial fibrosis, but the underlying mechanism needs to be further studied.
Li
Ying
Y
Division of Nephrology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Research Institute of Nephrology, Central South University, Key Laboratory of Nephrology and Blood Purification in Hunan, Changsha, PR China.
Zhou
Letiang
L
Liu
Fuyou
F
Peng
Youming
Y
Li
Jun
J
Sun
Lin
L
Duan
Shaobin
S
Ling
Guanghui
G
Chen
Xin
X
Jiang
Wenling
W
Xia
Yuncheng
Y
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009395:Nephritis, Interstitial / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000633:toxicity*
D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine