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Quantitative estimation of renin‐containing cells in the juxtaglomerular apparatus in Bartter’s and pseudo‐Bartter’s syndromes
Author(s) -
Okada Mayumi,
Lertprasertsuke Nirush,
Tsutsumi Yutaka
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
pathology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1827
pISSN - 1320-5463
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1827.2000.01027.x
Subject(s) - juxtaglomerular apparatus , afferent arterioles , bartter syndrome , renin–angiotensin system , bartter's syndrome , macula densa , endocrinology , plasma renin activity , medicine , chemistry , blood pressure , hypokalemia
Our colleagues have previously observed the number of renin‐immunoreactive juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA) in renal specimens from patients with Bartter’s and pseudo‐Bartter’s syndromes and from the normal individual. The question we have is to what extent the renin‐containing cells actually increased their cell number. It is easy to count the number of renin‐positive JGA in the specimens. The data showed that the number of renin‐positive glomeruli was 10–17 times more frequent in both syndromes than in the normal control. A geometrical calculation simply indicated that the probability of detection of a cell mass in a thin cross‐section is proportional to the length of the target structure. The number of renin‐containing cells per JGA is proportional to the increased rate of detection of renin‐immunoreactive JGA per unit area, namely 10–17 times. This is true when we assume that renin‐containing cells are solely located along the afferent arteriole, where differentiation toward renin‐secreting cell occurs in a few layers just outside the arteriole in a longitudinal direction.