Conversion to Sirolimus Ameliorates Cyclosporine-Induced Nephropathy in the Rat: Focus on Serum, Urine, Gene, and Protein Renal Expression Biomarkers

Figure 2

Total score of vascular (a₁), glomerular (b₁), and tubulointerstitial (c₁) lesions and representative photomicrographs of kidney histomorphologic sections with PAS and Masson’s trichrome stainings. The image (a₂) represents a normal kidney arteriole from the control group and A₃ an arteriolosclerosis lesion present in all the rats treated with CsA. (b₂) and (b₃) represent a normal capsule and a vascular pole hyalinization and Bowman’s capsule thickening from the CsA group, respectively. (c₂) and (c₃) images match normal tubules and tubular calcification in the kidney of CsA-treated rats, respectively. Representative photomicrographs of kidney histomorphologic sections with Masson’s trichrome staining for control ((a₄), (b₄), and (c₄)) and CsA ((a₅), (b₅), and (c₅)). CsA promotes collagen fibers deposition around arterioles, Bowman’s capsules, and tubules (fibrosis). Values are mean ± SEM. ^∗𝑃<0.05, ^∗∗𝑃<0.01, and ^∗∗∗𝑃<0.001 versus the control group; ^#𝑃<0.05 and ^##𝑃<0.01 versus cyclosporin.