Antification of expression levels of synaptopodin by western blotting. One-way ANOVA, data are means 6 SD. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055027.gGlomerular endothelial cell MedChemExpress CAL-120 injury precedes that of podocytes after ADR administration in eNOS-deficient C57BL/6 miceTo compare ADR-induced injury in glomerular endothelial cells with that in podocytes in mice with eNOS deficiency, CD31 and synaptopodin staining were performed. The loss of CD31 was evident 3 days after adriamycin administration then persisted until day 28 (Fig. 4A to E K) while the expression of synaptopodin was significantly reduced 7 days after ADR administration (Fig. 4F to J L), suggesting that glomerular endothelial cells with eNOS deficiency are more susceptible to injury than podocytes and that endothelial dysfunction plays a critical role in the development and progression of ADR-induced nephropathy. To quantify the rate of apoptosis in glomerular endothelial cells and podocytes, TUNEL was performed in conjunction with CD31 and synaptopodin staining. Positive cells in 50 glomeruli of at least five animals of each group were counted. As expected, the number of glomerular endothelial cells undergoing apoptosis (CD31+/TUNEL+) peaked at 3 days after adriamycin was administered, then gradually decreased at days 7 and 14 (Fig. 5A to C). However, the number of podocytes undergoing apoptosis peaked at 7 days after adriamycin treatment (Fig. 5D to F), demonstrating 
that adriamycin-induced glomerular endothelial cell injury precedes that of podocytes in eNOS-deficient mice, suggesting that endothelial dysfunction may result in podocyte injury.Glomerular endothelial dysfunction precedes podocyte injury in ADR-induced kidney damage in Balb/c miceIt is believed that ADR-induced nephropathy is initiated by podocyte injury followed by overt 
proteinuria, glomerulosclerosis, tubulointerstitial fibrosis and inflammation in ADR-susceptible mice [35,36]. In an attempt to address the role of endothelial dysfunction in the development and progression of ADR-induced podocyte injury, the expression of eNOS and synaptopodin were examined by Western blotting in kidneys from Balb/c mice. Interestingly, the down-regulation of eNOS was significantlyGlomerular Endothelial Cell Injuryearlier than that of synaptopodin being prominent 24 hours and 7 days after ADR administration, respectively (Fig. 6A B). Confocal microscopy demonstrated that CD31 (Fig. 6C, D G) and synaptopodin (Fig. 6E, F H) were significantly decreased 7 days after ADR treatment. TUNEL demonstrated that glomerular endothelial cells (CD31+/TUNEL+) and podocytes (synaptopodin+/TUNEL+) undergoing apoptosis could be detected as early as 24 hours in glomerular endothelial cells (Fig. 7C E) but at 7 days in podocytes (Fig. 7D E) after ADR treatment compared with NS treatment. This suggests that glomerular endothelial dysfunction and damage precede podocyte injury in an ADR-susceptible mouse strain.eNOS overexpression in endothelial cells protects podocytes from TNF-a-induced injuryTo further investigate the role of glomerular 16574785 endothelial cells in the development and progression of podocyte injury, mouse microvascular endothelial cells (MMECs) over-expressing GFPtagged eNOS were generated. MMECs expressing GFP-tagged eNOS (GFP-eNOS+) were selected by FACS while GFPeNOS2MMECs were used as a negative control (Fig. 8A). Confocal microscopy demonstrated that the majority of the Itacitinib chemical information cultured GFP-eNOS+ MMECs expressed GFP-tagged eNOS (Fig. 8.Antification of expression levels of synaptopodin by western blotting. One-way ANOVA, data are means 6 SD. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055027.gGlomerular endothelial cell injury precedes that of podocytes after ADR administration in eNOS-deficient C57BL/6 miceTo compare ADR-induced injury in glomerular endothelial cells with that in podocytes in mice with eNOS deficiency, CD31 and synaptopodin staining were performed. The loss of CD31 was evident 3 days after adriamycin administration then persisted until day 28 (Fig. 4A to E K) while the expression of synaptopodin was significantly reduced 7 days after ADR administration (Fig. 4F to J L), suggesting that glomerular endothelial cells with eNOS deficiency are more susceptible to injury than podocytes and that endothelial dysfunction plays a critical role in the development and progression of ADR-induced nephropathy. To quantify the rate of apoptosis in glomerular endothelial cells and podocytes, TUNEL was performed in conjunction with CD31 and synaptopodin staining. Positive cells in 50 glomeruli of at least five animals of each group were counted. As expected, the number of glomerular endothelial cells undergoing apoptosis (CD31+/TUNEL+) peaked at 3 days after adriamycin was administered, then gradually decreased at days 7 and 14 (Fig. 5A to C). However, the number of podocytes undergoing apoptosis peaked at 7 days after adriamycin treatment (Fig. 5D to F), demonstrating that adriamycin-induced glomerular endothelial cell injury precedes that of podocytes in eNOS-deficient mice, suggesting that endothelial dysfunction may result in podocyte injury.Glomerular endothelial dysfunction precedes podocyte injury in ADR-induced kidney damage in Balb/c miceIt is believed that ADR-induced nephropathy is initiated by podocyte injury followed by overt proteinuria, glomerulosclerosis, tubulointerstitial fibrosis and inflammation in ADR-susceptible mice [35,36]. In an attempt to address the role of endothelial dysfunction in the development and progression of ADR-induced podocyte injury, the expression of eNOS and synaptopodin were examined by Western blotting in kidneys from Balb/c mice. Interestingly, the down-regulation of eNOS was significantlyGlomerular Endothelial Cell Injuryearlier than that of synaptopodin being prominent 24 hours and 7 days after ADR administration, respectively (Fig. 6A B). Confocal microscopy demonstrated that CD31 (Fig. 6C, D G) and synaptopodin (Fig. 6E, F H) were significantly decreased 7 days after ADR treatment. TUNEL demonstrated that glomerular endothelial cells (CD31+/TUNEL+) and podocytes (synaptopodin+/TUNEL+) undergoing apoptosis could be detected as early as 24 hours in glomerular endothelial cells (Fig. 7C E) but at 7 days in podocytes (Fig. 7D E) after ADR treatment compared with NS treatment. This suggests that glomerular endothelial dysfunction and damage precede podocyte injury in an ADR-susceptible mouse strain.eNOS overexpression in endothelial cells protects podocytes from TNF-a-induced injuryTo further investigate the role of glomerular 16574785 endothelial cells in the development and progression of podocyte injury, mouse microvascular endothelial cells (MMECs) over-expressing GFPtagged eNOS were generated. MMECs expressing GFP-tagged eNOS (GFP-eNOS+) were selected by FACS while GFPeNOS2MMECs were used as a negative control (Fig. 8A). Confocal microscopy demonstrated that the majority of the cultured GFP-eNOS+ MMECs expressed GFP-tagged eNOS (Fig. 8.
