European Journal of Anatomy

Official Journal of The Spanish Society of Anatomy
Cover Volume 3 - Number 1
Eur J Anat, 3 (1): 51-58 (1999)

Corticosteroid-induced polycystic kidney disease. A morphological study

Ojeda J.L.

Dept. de Anatomia y Biologia Celular, Facultad de Medicina, C/Cardenal Herrera Oria, s/n, 39011-Santander, Spain

ABSTRACT A single injection of methylprednisolone acetate to the newborn rabbit induces the development of polycystic kidney disease (PKD). In a first stage collecting duct cysts (CDCs) develop. Enlargement of ducts and CDC formation are accompanied by preservation of normal principal to intercalated cell ratios and modifications in the structure and composition of the CDC basement membrane. These changes appear at the beginning of tubular dilation, are not observed in other renal basement membranes, and disappear progressively during regression of the CDCs. It is likely that an abnormal basement membrane modifies the spatial and chemical signals encoded within the extracellular material, which, in turn, could lead, via integrins, to abnormal control of the size of the collecting duct, which then undergoes cystic dilation. Glomerular cyst formation occurs in later stages and is accompanied by CDC regression. Glomerular cysts are unique in that the parietal epithelial layer undergoes transformation to podocytes (parietal podocytes). This transformation occurs in the absence of capillaries. Parietal podocytes provide a new tool for the study of glomerular epithelial differentiation, the functional capacity of isolated podocytes in vivo, and the assembly of the glomerular filtration surface.

Keywords: corticosteroid, methylprednisolone acetate, animal experiment, animal model, animal tissue, drug induced disease, glomerulopathy, glomerulus basement membrane, intramuscular drug administration, kidney collecting tubule, kidney polycystic disease, kidney tubule disorder, morphology, newborn, nonhuman, podocyte, rabbit, review

European Journal of anatomy
ISSN 2340-311X (Online)