WNT/β-Catenin Signaling Is Required for Integration of CD₂₄₊ Renal Progenitor Cells into Glycerol-Damaged Adult Renal Tubules

Figure 6

Exogenous renal embryonic CD₂₄₊ cells stained with PKH26 red integrate into the renal tubules of adult mice with glycerol-induced proximal tubular injury. (a) Lotus tetragonolobus agglutinin (LTA) staining of normal control renal proximal tubules (green). (b) LTA staining of kidney (green) 3 days after induction of acute tubular injury with 50% glycerol 8 μL/g shows tubular dilatation, flattening, and detachment of proximal tubular cells. (c) No uptake of red dye is seen in glycerol-injured kidneys following infusion of the supernatant from the PKH26 red staining procedure for CD₂₄₊ cells. (d) Following infusion of PKH26 red-stained CD₂₄₊ cells into glycerol-injured mice, exogenous cells are seen within the damaged renal tubules (white arrows). (e–h) Confocal immunofluorescent microscopy examining integration of CD₂₄₊ cells into the wall of glycerol-damaged proximal tubules. (e) Patchy integration of PKH26 red CD₂₄₊ cells into the proximal tubular wall (white arrows). (f) Exogenous CD₂₄₊ cells (white arrows) have a polarized appearance and stain for LTA (green) and are intercalated among the endogenous LTA(+) epithelia (yellow arrow heads). (g) The same section stained with DAPI alone. (h) Merged image of (e), (f), (g). Scale bars: 50 μm (f) and 70 μm (g–j). LTA: green; DAPI: blue; PKH26: red.

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