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Distribution of renin‐containing cells in the developing human kidney: an immunocytochemical study
Author(s) -
GRAHAM P. C.,
KINGDOM J. C. P.,
RAWEILY E. A.,
GIBSON A. A. M.,
LINDOP G. B. M.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1992.tb13881.x
Subject(s) - kidney , cortex (anatomy) , fetus , amniotic fluid , gestational age , pathology , human kidney , gestation , renal cortex , biology , distribution (mathematics) , anatomy , medicine , pregnancy , endocrinology , neuroscience , genetics , mathematical analysis , mathematics
Objective To characterize the pattern of renin containing cells (RCC) within the human kidney between 20 weeks of gestation and 6 months of postnatal life. Design Descriptive study using paraffin‐embedded blocks of kidney stored following postmortem examination. Methods Sections of kidney were stained immunocytochemically using an antibody to human renin; the proportion of RCC within each of three zones (superficial, middle and deep) of the cortex, and their anatomical relation to individual glomeruli were determined. The cases were divided into five groups for analysis to gestational or postnatal age. Results Fetal RCC were usually at the vascular pole of the most mature glomeruli within the deeper areas of the cortex and were occasionally located within glomeruli. This distribution persisted until birth, even when the kidney was histologically mature. By contrast there were fewer RCC in neonatal and infant kidneys and, as in adult kidneys, these were located predominantly in the superficial cortex. Conclusion The change in RCC distribution around the time of normal birth may relate to the transition to independent renal function. The location and density of RCC during fetal life may influence renal perfusion and amniotic fluid production.