Proximal convoluted tubules of the rats kidney--a stereological analysis

The aim of this work was to order quantitative parameters of the proximal convoluted tubules (PCT) in the normal rat kidney cortex. Volume density (VV), both surface and specific surface density toward interstitium (SVi and SVi/VV) and toward lumen (SVl and SVl/VV) and thickness (T) of tubules epithelium have been stereologically ordered. Stereologically were analysed 170 test fields by lattice L36 on the paraffin sections of the three adult male Wistar rats kidney dyeing by PAS-method. The mean values of the variables analysed were: VV=76.4 % +/-0.012; SVi=0.056 microm-1 +/-0.004; SVl=0.028 microm-1 +/-0.003; SVi/VV=0.073 microm-1 +/-0.003; SVl/VV=0.037 microm-1 +/-0.005; T=18,26 microm +/-0.897. Stereological methods are making a very valuable contribution to science over recent years. We have used unbiased stereological counting methods to obtain objective quantitative parameters of the PCT epithelium in the normal rats' kidney cortex.