Fig. 5: Anti-VEGFR2 F(ab′)2-SS31 treatment protected glomeruli against albuminuria in DN.
a After initiation of streptozotocin-induced DN, different agents (SS31, anti-VEGFR2 F(ab′)2, and anti-VEGFR2 F(ab′)2-SS31) were administered intravenously at a dosage of 33 nmol/kg, once every 3 days for 5 weeks. After administration, urine and kidneys were collected for evaluation. STZ treatment-induced diabetes mice with similar severity, as indicated by (b) blood glucose and (c) body weight. d Urinary albumin/creatinine ratios assessing albuminuria in different groups after different treatments. e Representative images of glomeruli (PAS staining of paraffin-fixed sections; scale bar, 50 μm) and dot plots summarizing (f) the glomerular diameters. g Representative images of the glomerular filtration barrier (transmission electron microscopy; scale bar, 1 μm) and dot plots summarizing (h) the width of the GBM, and (i) foot process width, reflecting foot process effacement. j Representative photomicrographs of NPSH2 immunohistochemical staining. NPSH2 encodes podocin, a slit diaphragm protein in podocytes. Scale bar, 100 μm. k Quantitative analysis of NPSH2 staining. All data are expressed as the mean ± s.d. Statistical significance was calculated using a one-way ANOVA and post-hoc test. n = 6 mice in each group, n.s. no significant difference, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 as compared with the DN group; n.s. no significant difference, #p < 0.05, ###p < 0.001 between groups as indicated. DN diabetic nephropathy, VEGFR2 vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, GBM glomerular basement membrane, FP foot process. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
