Abstract
The binding of human platelet cationic proteins (HuPlt CP) to rat renal cortexin vitro andin vivo, the loss of glomerular polyanions (GPA) and the increase in glomerular permeability were studied. HuPlt CP were purified by sequential cation-exchange chromatography and chromatofocusing, by which these proteins were shown to be highly cationic in nature (pI 10.5) and mainly composed of three molecular species of 55.60 kD, 40.45 kD, and 10 kD as studied by gel permeation in high pressure liquid chromatography and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Binding of HuPlt CP to glomerular capillary walls (GCW), mesangium and to peritubular capillaries of the rat renal cortex was demonstrated by immunofluorescence, using a specific goat anti-HuPlt CP antiserum, after incubation of the sections with HuPlt CPin vitro and after injection of HuPlt CPin vivo. This interaction was ionic in nature, since treatment of sections with heparin abrogated the binding of HuPlt CP to glomerular structures. The glomerular deposits of HuPlt CP were associated with the loss of GPA as revealed by colloidal iron staining (light microscopy) in bothin vitro andin vivo experiments and by ruthenium red staining (electron microscopy) inin vivo studies. After the injection of native ferritin, the increase in glomerular permeability produced by an infusion of HuPlt CP was observed by the increased ratio of counted particles within the glomerular basement membrane with respect to controls. The binding of HuPlt CP to GCW and the loss of GPA was consistent with the interpretation that HuPlt CP may increase glomerular permeability due to the neutralization of GPA.