Monocytic Tissue Transglutaminase in a Rat Model for Reversible Acute Rejection and Chronic Renal Allograft Injury

Figure 6

Caspase-3 activation. Changes in the activation of caspase-3 were investigated by immunoblotting of lysates of mononuclear intravascular leukocytes isolated by perfusion of control kidneys and isogenic (Iso) or allogenic (Allo) renal transplants (a) as well as total control and graft tissue lysates (c) on day 9 after transplantation. Detection of the house-keeping enzyme GAPDH was performed for normalization. Densitometric quantifications of the blot from perfusates are depicted in (b) ( per group). Immunohistochemical staining experiments using anti-active caspase-3 Abs (in brown) (d) reveal that active caspase-3-immunoreactive leukocytes are predominantly detected in veins of day 9 allografts. Representative sections out of four individual experiments are shown. The arrow points to a positive blood leukocyte in allograft vein. Box plots indicate median and percentiles 0, 25, 75, and 100. . OD: optical density.

(a)

(b)

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