Capillary basement membrane thickening is one of the earliest histologic lesions in diabetic retinopathy. Its pathogenesis is not understood; however, recent evidence suggests that aldose reductase may play a role. In this study, a new animal model, the diabetic cat, was used to determine whether retinal capillary basement membrane thickening occurred early in the course of hyperglycemia, and i...

Total 4-hydroxyproline content and volume were measured in the same sample of microdissected glomeruli obtained fro rat and human outer or inner cortex. Glomerular volume was determined by computer-assisted image analysis, and 4-hydroxyproline was measured by a highly sensitive gas-liquid chromatographic method. Results were expressed as weight of basement membrane material by comparison with t...

[1] The nature of ridge-flank hydrothermal circulation guided by basement outcrops protruding through thick sediments is constrained on the eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge using combined bathymetric, seismic, and thermal observations and analytical and numerical calculations of coupled fluid-heat flow. Observational data near the western edge of the survey area indicate that young, cool...

Cell invasion through basement membranes is crucial during morphogenesis and cancer metastasis. Here, we genetically dissect this process during anchor-cell invasion into the vulval epithelium in C. elegans. We have identified the fos transcription factor ortholog fos-1 as a critical regulator of basement-membrane removal. In fos-1 mutants, the gonadal anchor cell extends cellular processes nor...

Affinity-purified rabbit antibodies specific for two large noncollagenous gycoproteins--laminin and fibronectin--were used to study the distribution of these proteins in normal murine kidneys. Immunofluorescence staining of conventional frozen sections demonstrates fibronectin within mesangial areas of the glomerulus. Laminin is also found in mesangial areas. However, it also appears to be dist...

The renal lesions of serum sickness were studied with the electron microscope. The most prominent change was a marked swelling and proliferation of glomernlar endothelial cells causing obliteration of the capillary lumen. The basement membrane also showed focal thickenings and excrescences. Deposits of electron-dense material blended into the basement membrane. On the extracapillary side epithe...

Since changes in the basement membranes are the critical indicators for differentiating normal, precancerous, and cancerous colonic tissues, direct visualization of these warning signs is essential for the early diagnosis and treatment of colonic cancer. Here, we present that second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy can probe the changes of basement membranes in different colonic cancer stag...

The basement membrane, a thin extracellular matrix, plays a critical role in tissue development and repair. Laminins are the major component of basement membrane and have diverse biological activities. We have identified various cell-adhesive peptides from laminins and their specific cell surface receptors. Polysaccharides, including chitosan, have been used as scaffolds, which regulate cellula...

Megakaryocytes give rise to platelets via extension of proplatelet arms, which are released through the vascular sinusoids into the bloodstream. Megakaryocytes and their precursors undergo varying interactions with the extracellular environment in the bone marrow during their maturation and positioning in the vascular niche. We demonstrate that podosomes are abundant in primary murine megakaryo...

The glycosaminoglycan (heparan sulfate) component of glomerular basement membranes from human kidneys of diabetic and nondiabetic subjects has been quantitated after isolation from protease digests of the membranes on DEAE-cellulose microcolumns. A significant decrease (P less than 0.005) in the glycosaminoglycan content of diabetic membranes was observed. Heparan sulfate was identified as the ...