Figure 1
Repeated intravenous injections of folic acid are associated with accelerated fibrosis and CKD in mice. Male CD1 mice received 2 intravenous doses of 125 mg/kg of folic acid (FA) or normal saline (control). (a) Mice were weighed every 2–7 days throughout the model and their weights are shown. FA treated mice were weighed more often as a safety precaution. (b) Sections from mouse kidneys were stained with picrosirius red (PSR) at day 0 (no FA) and other time points post 1st FA injection as indicated (representative images shown).In the PSR panels the red stain indicates the presence of collagen in the tissue. In the PMT panels the tissue matrix is indicated by the level of blue stain. (c) The PSR (collagen fibre) staining was quantified using NIS Elements software as described in methods. (d) Collagen staining was also quantified from picro-Mallory trichrome (PMT) stained sections using NIS Elements software as described in methods and (e) Collagen content was assessed by tissue hydroxyproline content. (f) Blood urea Nitrogen (BUN) and (g) Serum creatinine were also quantified. 8–16 mice per treatment group. Each point is the result for a single animal. Statistically significant differences are represented as follows here and in all figures: *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.005.
