CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Vol 23, No 6, July 2012
e4
AFRICA
by week 12. No obvious difference was found when the HP diet
was combined with 5/6 Nx compared with 5/6 Nx only (group
5 vs 3 and 6 vs 4,
p
>
0.05), and no significant difference was
observed between groups 3 and 4, and groups 5 and 6 at the same
time points (Fig. 1).
Compared with sham surgery, 5/6 Nx in both p53
+
/
+
and
p53–/– mice caused more than twofold increases in BUN
concentrations at eight weeks following 5/6 Nx, which remained
elevated throughout the study. Similarly, 5/6 Nx also had
significant effects on haemoglobin, plasma Ca, Pi and PTH
levels and body weight, but not on mean systolic arterial blood
pressure (Table 1). Plasma BUN, haemoglobin, plasma Ca, Pi
and PTH levels, body weight and BP were similar in p53
+
/
+
and
p53–/– mice after 5/6 Nx (group 3 vs 4), as well as in p53
+
/
+
and
p53–/– mice after 5/6 Nx
+
HP (group 5 vs 6). However plasma
Ca, Pi and PTH levels were significantly higher in mice after 5/6
Nx
+
HP compared with those in mice after 5/6 Nx only (group
5 vs 3 and 6 vs 4,
p
<
0.001 at each time) (Table 1).
Histopathological analysis of vascular calcification
in the aorta
In groups 1 and 2, no mineral deposition was noted in the 5/6
Fig. 2. Ⅰ: Histopathological analysis of vascular calcifica-
tion in the aorta at 12 weeks after Nx or Nx
+
HP (original
magnification,
×
200) with von Kossa staining. A and C:
p53
+
/
+
mice, and B and D: p53–/– mice. Ⅱ: Evaluation
of the vascular calcification score in p53+/+ and p53–/–
mice at 12 weeks after 5/6 Nx or 5/6 Nx + HP. Values are
means
±
SE;
n
=
5 per group.
a
p
<
0.001 vs p53
+
/
+
mice,
b
p
<
0.01 vs Nx mice.
A
B
C
D
Nx
Nx
+
HP
I
II
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Vascular calcification (score)
Nx
Nx
+
HP
a
p53+/+
p53–/–
ab
Fig. 1. I: Histological appearance of the kidney in A and C:
p53
+
/
+
mice, and B and D: p53–/– mice at 12 weeks after
5/6 Nx or 5/6 Nx
+
HP diet. A and B: Nx mice, C and D: Nx
+
HP mice (HE staining, original magnification:
×
200). II:
Quantification of glomerular cell number, sclerosis index
and tubulo-interstitial fibrosis in mice at 12 weeks after
Nx or Nx
+
HP. Values are means
±
SEM;
n
=
5 per group.
NS
=
no significant difference vs p53–/– mice.
A
B
C
D
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Total cell number/glomerulus
Nx
Nx
+
HP
NS
NS
p53+/+
p53–/–
I
II
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Score
Nx
Nx
+
HP
Nx
Nx
+
HP
NS
p53+/+
p53–/–
NS
NS
NS
Sclerosis index
Tubulointerstitial fibrosis
