Figure 3
Loss of tubular β-catenin reduces tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) after UUO.
(a) Loss of tubular β-catenin preserves tubular epithelial E-cadherin expression. Immunohistochemical staining showed an increased E-cadherin expression in tubular epithelium in Ksp-β-cat-/- kidneys at 7 days after UUO, compared with controls. Arrows indicate E-cadherin-positive tubules. Scale bar, 50 μm. (b, c) Western blot analyses demonstrate that loss of tubular β-catenin preserved E-cadherin protein in the obstructed kidneys. Representative Western blot (b) and quantitative data (c) are presented. **P < 0.01 versus controls. (d) Loss of tubular β-catenin reduces N-cadherin expression in the obstructed kidneys. Representative micrographs show N-cadherin protein expression in control and Ksp-β-cat-/- kidneys at 7 days after UUO. Scale bar, 50 μm. (e, f) Western blots demonstrate renal vimentin expression in the obstructed kidneys at 3 days (e) or 7 days (f) after UUO. Numbers (1, 2, 3 and 4) denote each individual animal in a given group. (g) Immunohistochemical staining showed reduced tubular vimentin-positive staining in the Ksp-β-cat-/- mice at 3 and 7 days after UUO, respectively. Boxed areas are enlarged. Yellow arrows indicate vimentin-positive tubular cells. Blue arrows indicate vimentin-positive interstitial cells. Scale bar, 50 μm. (h, i) Quantitative data on vimentin-positive tubular cells are presented. Data are presented as vimentin-positive tubular cells per 1000 tubular cells in the obstructed kidneys at 3 days (h) or 7 days (i) after UUO. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 versus controls (n = 4–6).
