Figure 9

Proliferation of glomerular endothelial cells in Thy-1 GN and Thy-1 GN/anti-VEGF groups. Mitosis of glomerular endothelial cells was evident in the damaged glomeruli at day 3 (a, × 2500) and day 7 (b, × 5000) in rats of the Thy-1 GN group. Double immunohistochemistry with TM (brown) and PCNA (black) (c–f) showed that both TM⁺- and PCNA⁺-proliferating endothelial cells were prominent in rats of the Thy-1 GN group at day 3 (c). In contrast, they were not prominent in rats of Thy-1 GN/anti-VEGF group at day 3 (d), indicating the inhibition of endothelial-cell proliferation by anti-VEGF antibody. Only a few TM⁺- and PCNA⁺-proliferating endothelial cells were noted in rats of the Thy-1 GN group at week 2 with almost complete recovery of glomerular capillary network (e). Similarly, only a few TM⁺- and PCNA⁺-proliferating endothelial cells were noted in rats of the Thy-1 GN/anti-VEGF group at week 2, although the recovery of capillary glomerular network was incomplete (f).