Synthesis of the glomerular basement membrane in the rat kidney

Abstract

To study the origin and the formation of the glomerular basement membrane, autoradiographic investigations with 3H-proline and 3H-leucine were performed in ultrathin and semithin sections of the glomeruli of 42 male rats. Of the 3 cell types of the glomerulus, the epithelia cells (= podocytes) synthesize the proline-rich seleroproteins of the glomerular basement membrane. No evidence was revealed for participation of the endothelial or mesangial cells in the formation of the basement membrane. The mesangial cells appear to be responsible for the synthesis of the mesangial matrix only.