pattern of collagen iv expression in glomerular and mesenchymal basement membrane during fetal and postnatal period of balb/c mice

abstract basement membrane of glomerular mesangium (bmg) is a thin membrane which helps to support the capillary loops in a renal glomerulus and type iv collagen is require for complete bm formation during glomerulogenesis. in this investigation specific antibody of type iv collagen has been used in light microscopy to study development of bmg of the embryonic and postnatal mouse glomerular mesangium. in this study, 20 female balb/c mice were selected randomly and finding vaginal plug was assumed as day zero of pregnancy. 12 pregnant mice were sacrified by cervical dislocation in one of gestational days 13-18, their fetuses were fixed and serially sectioned. immunohistochemical study for tracing of collagen type iv in bmg was carried out. the same processes were carried out for kidneys preparation of pups on 5, 10, 15 and 20 days after birth (2 mothers for each day). the result of the present study revealed that collagen iv reaction was weak on day 15 of gestation. the amount of collagen increased continuously until next days of fetal life and primary of 10 days postnatal in bmg. after this period, collagen iv showed no significant change in newborns. these data indicate that collagen iv appears just during the glomerular vasculogenesis and because of continuity and glomerular endothelial cell differentiation, type iv collagen, is the major structural protein in bmg, have been implicated in these processes.