PA treatment induces oxidative and ER stress and is associated with apoptosis in podocytes.

<p>(A) Representative photographs of the nuclei of podocytes treated with vehicle, 100, 500 or 750 μM of PA, then incubated with Di-hydroethidium (DHE) probe and red fluorescence quantification is expressed in arbitrary units (A.U.) (n = 3 experiments). Original magnification: 200×. (B) Representative micrographs of the immunofluorescence for c/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) in podocytes treated 24 h with vehicle, 100, 500 or 750 μM of PA (white arrows at stained nuclei). (C) mRNA levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes such as: <i>glucose regulated protein 78</i> (GRP78) and CHOP, <i>sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca</i>^<i>2+</i><i>-ATPase</i> (SERCA) in podocytes treated 24 h with vehicle, 100, 500 or 750 μM of PA. (D) Representative micrographs of TUNEL assay and quantification of apoptosis in podocytes treated with PA. Data is expressed as mean ± SEM and normalized with GeNorm; *** p<0.001 PA <i>vs</i>. Veh.; ** p<0.01 PA <i>vs</i>. Veh.; * p<0.05 PA <i>vs</i>. Veh.