ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Effects of maternal uninephrectomy on the development of fetal rat kidney: apoptosis and the expression of oncogenes

The present study was designed to explore whether maternal uninephrectomy affects development of the collecting ducts in fetal kidney. Localization of DNA fragmented cells in the kidney of fetal rats from uninephrectomized mothers were examined by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated d-UTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the localizations of bcl-2 gene products. The gene expressions for bcl-2, p53, and WT1 mRNAs were examined by using the semi-quantitative reverse transcript-polymerase chain reaction. TUNEL positive cells were more numerous in the medullary collecting ducts of the fetuses from uninephrectomized mothers than in those of the fetuses from sham-operated ones. The expressions of bcl-2, p53, and WT1 mRNAs were lower in the fetuses from uninephrectomized mothers than in the fetuses from sham-operated ones. Cells in the medullary collecting ducts showed positive reactions to anti-bcl-2 gene products antibody with the reactions being weaker in the fetuses from uninephrectomized mothers. These results showed that maternal uninephrectomy accelerated the development of fetal rat kidney and it was associated with the lowered the expression of bcl-2 in fetal rat kidney.