Sublethal tubular cell injuries in the kidney of 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC)-fed mice.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Semi-thin sections with toluidine blue staining (top row) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) (bottom row) images of proximal tubules in control and DDC-fed mice at days 1, 3, and 7; <i>red arrowheads</i>, loss of brush border microvilli. Scale bars = 25 μm (top row), 10 μm (bottom row). (<b>B</b>) The proportion of injured cells to total tubular cells is presented as percentage; control (<i>white bar</i>) and DDC-fed mice (<i>black bar</i>) at days 1, 3, and 7. (<b>C</b>) TEM images of intracellular organelles (top row) and immunofluorescent analysis for KIM-1 (bottom row) in proximal tubules of control and DDC-fed mice at days 1, 3, and 7; <i>asterisks</i>, mitochondria with abnormal features; <i>arrowheads</i>, intact endoplasmic reticula; <i>green</i>, immunofluorescence labeling for KIM-1; <i>red</i>, phalloidin; <i>blue</i>, 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). Scale bars = 500 nm (top row), 50 μm (bottom row). (<b>D</b>) KIM-1 staining on renal tubules of the control and DDC-fed mice was digitally analyzed and presented as percentage positive staining area per field; control (<i>white bar</i>) and DDC-fed mice (<i>black bar</i>) at days 1, 3, and 7. Data are presented as means ± SEM. *<i>P</i> < 0.05 compared with control mice.