Summary
In normal kidneys fixed by perfusion with tannic acid and glutaraldehyde, glomerular slit diaphragms have been reported to consist of highly ordered and isoporous substructures with a zipper-like configuration. We have re-evaluated the ultrastructure of fixed or unfixed glomeruli using quick-freezing and deep-etching (QF-DE) and freeze-substitution (QF-FS) methods. In the fixed slit diaphragms, zipper-like substructures were often observed by the QF-DE method. In contrast, in fresh unfixed glomeruli the slit diaphragms mainly consisted of non-porous substructures. The slit diaphragms were more widely opened in the fixed glomeruli, as examined by the QF-FS method. These results suggest that the foot processes shrink during tissue preparation by conventional methods with chemical fixatives, and that the broadening of slit diaphragms and zipper-like substructures are formed by the pulling apart of adjacent foot processes due to shrinkage.
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Ohno, S., Hora, K., Furukawa, T. et al. Ultrastructural study of the glomerular slit diaphragm in fresh unfixed kidneys by a quick-freezing method. Virchows Archiv B Cell Pathol 61, 351–358 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02890438
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02890438