Uranium localization in the down stream of the proximal tubules in kidney during one set of uranium renal toxicity

Abstract

The pollution caused by the military use of depleted uranium and the nuclear accident have raised increasing concern about its toxicity. We reported previously that uranium accumulated selectively into the renal proximal tubules and caused renal lesions in adult rats. In the present study, uranium localization in the proximal tubules was examined in rats exposed to uranium acetate by the combination of high energy synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis using microprobe with immunohistochemical staining of the down stream of the renal proximal tubules, toxic target sites of uranium. At 1 day after administration, uranium was found in the inner areas of the cortex, where uranium was highly concentrated more than 50-fold of the mean uranium concentration in kidney. Damaged tubules were observed at 8 days. At 15days, regenerated tubules were found and the uranium concentrated areas decreased, but still contained uranium at almost equal levels at 1 day.