Renal pericytes: regulators of medullary blood flow

Regulation of medullary blood flow (MBF) is essential in maintaining normal kidney function. Blood flow to the medulla is supplied by the descending vasa recta (DVR), which arise from the efferent arterioles of juxtamedullary glomeruli. DVR are composed of a continuous endothelium, intercalated with smooth muscle-like cells called pericytes. Pericytes have been shown to alter the diameter of isolated and in situ DVR in response to vasoactive stimuli that are transmitted via a network of autocrine and paracrine signalling pathways. Vasoactive stimuli can be released by neighbouring tubular epithelial, endothelial, red blood cells and neuronal cells in response to changes in NaCl transport and oxygen tension. The experimentally described sensitivity of pericytes to these stimuli strongly suggests their leading role in the phenomenon of MBF autoregulation. Because the debate on autoregulation of MBF fervently continues, we discuss the evidence favouring a physiological role for pericytes in the regulation of MBF and describe their potential role in tubulo-vascular cross-talk in this region of the kidney. Our review also considers current methods used to explore pericyte activity and function in the renal medulla

Spontaneous lesions in the sternums of growing rats.

&lt;p&gt;Pathologic examination of sternums from young growing rats revealed a number of skeletal lesions involving both cartilage and bone elements. Degeneration or aseptic necrosis of the intersternebral cartilage was a frequent finding in most rats that were examined either at 130 or 180 days of age. Thickening of the sternal cortices and trabeculae containing prominent cement lines were less frequently occurring lesions in these sternums. These changes were absent in rats of 70 days of age. The etiology of the lesions is not understood, although several factors may be incriminated.&lt;/p&gt;</p