Apoptosis and Caspase-3 in Experimental Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Nephritis

Abstract . The caspase family is central to the proteolytic events of apoptosis. In particular, caspase-3 plays a key role in the execution of apoptosis. However, the importance of caspase-3 in renal cell apoptosis during kidney scarring has not been established. Here, nephrotoxic nephritis (NTN) was induced in Wistar Kyoto rats by a single intravenous injection of rabbit anti-rat glomerular basement membrane serum, with analysis at days 7, 15, 30, and 45 after injection. Cell apoptosis ( in situ end labeling of DNA, light and electron microscopy), proliferation (proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive cells), and inflammation (ED1-positive cells) all increased in NTN kidneys, peaking early (day 7) in the glomeruli and later (days 30 to 45) in the tubules and interstititum. The expression of caspase-3 mRNA (Northern blotting) was increased in NTN kidneys on days 7, 30, and 45 (173.3%, 228%, and 241.7%, respectively; P P P P P