Figure 5

Histological analysis of the renal stress response to cisplatin in Nrf2-luc mice. Nrf2-luc mice were administered saline or 20 mg/kg cisplatin. At 96 h, in saline-treated mice there were no histological changes (HE stain), Hmox1 expression was restricted to intravascular erythrocytes, and staining for luciferase yielded only a non-specific serum reaction. In cisplatin-treated mice, proximal tubules exhibited attenuated epithelium (arrow) or necrosis and loss of epithelial cells (arrowhead), whilst lumina were often filled with protein casts (HE stain). Hmox1 and luciferase expression were detected in viable, degenerating proximal tubular epithelial cells (arrow) and within the proteinaceous material in the lumen of proximal tubules with necrotic epithelial cells (arrowhead). Scale bars = 20 µm.