Podocyte depletion causes glomerulosclerosis: Diphtheria toxin–induced podocyte depletion in rats expressing human diphtheria toxin receptor transgene

BL Wharram, M Goyal, JE Wiggins… - Journal of the …, 2005 - journals.lww.com
Glomerular injury and proteinuria in diabetes (types 1 and 2) and IgA nephropathy is related
to the degree of podocyte depletion in humans. For determining the causal relationship
between podocyte depletion and glomerulosclerosis, a transgenic rat strain in which the
human diphtheria toxin receptor is specifically expressed in podocytes was developed. The
rodent homologue does not act as a diphtheria toxin (DT) receptor, thereby making rodents
resistant to DT. Injection of DT into transgenic rats but not wild-type rats resulted in dose …