Renal Kallikrein Activation and Renoprotection after Dual Blockade of Renin-Angiotensin System in Diet-Induced Diabetic Nephropathy

Figure 5

Immunofluorescence microscopy of -smooth muscle action and transforming growth factor-. Kidney tissue sections (4 m) were stained with the activated fibroblast marker -smooth muscle action (green) and the profibrotic cytokine transforming growth factor- (red) and examined under a Zeiss A2 imaging microscope (Carl Zeiss, Hamburg, Germany). Both interstitial fibroblasts and vascular smooth muscle cells are positive for -smooth muscle action (green). Consistent with the immunostain of the phagocytic marker CD68 (Figure 4), inflammatory cells immunoreactive for transforming growth factor- (red) are predominantly interstitial large macrophages and frequently intermixed with infiltrating lymphocytes. (a) Normal control (CN); (b) model of diabetic nephropathy that never had any treatment (DN); (c) treatment with benazepril 10 mg/kg/d (Ben); (d) treatment with irbesartan 30 mg/kg/d (Irb); (e) combined treatment with benazepril 10 mg/kg/d and irbesartan 30 mg/kg/d (Ben and Irb). Original magnification, ×200; scale bar, 50 m.

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