Quantifying Podocyte Number in a Small Sample Size of Glomeruli with CUBIC to Evaluate Podocyte Depletion of db/db Mice

Figure 5

Absolute podocyte decrease of whole glomerulus in db/db mice. (a) The tabulation manifested podocyte number per glomerulus of the control group and db/db mice (three mice per group). The total podocyte number per glomerulus of every group was calculated through sum of all podocyte number divided by glomerular number of each group. (b) Statistically significant decrease in podocyte number per glomerulus in db/db mice indicated a more severe renal injury. Data are expressed as . , , and for db/db mice by the age of 8 w, 12 w, and 16 w versus the control group. (c) The decreased rate of podocyte number was expressed more noticeable in db/db mice in age of 16 w, compared with those in age of 8 w and 16 w. The decreased rate of podocyte number was calculated through the difference of mean podocyte number per glomerulus between each db/db mice (at least 70 glomeruli per mouse) and the control group divided by mean podocyte number per glomerulus in the control group (180 glomeruli). Data are expressed as . , ns: no significance.

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