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1 Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Monash Univesity, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
2 Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
3 Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Monash Univesity, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Hayley.Dickinson{at}med.monash.edu.au.
The spiny mouse is relatively mature at birth. We hypothesised that like other organs, the kidney may be more developed in the spiny mouse at birth, than in other rodents. If nephrogenesis is complete prior to birth, the spiny mouse may provide an excellent model to study the effects of an altered intrauterine environment on renal development. Due to its desert adaptation, the spiny mouse may have a reduced cortex to medulla ratio, however an equivalent total nephron number to the C57/BL mouse. Kidneys were collected from fetal and neonatal spiny mice and sectioned for gross examination of metanephric development. Kidneys were collected from adult spiny mice (10 weeks of age) and glomerular number, volume and cortex to medulla ratios determined using unbiased stereology. Nephrogenesis is complete in spiny mouse kidneys prior to birth. Metanephrogenesis begins at approximately day 18 and by day 38, of 40 day gestation, the nephrogenic zone is no longer present. Spiny mice have a significantly (P<0.001) lower total nephron number compared to C57/BL mice although total glomerular volume is similar. The cortex to medulla ratio of the spiny mouse is significantly (P<0.01) smaller. The spiny mouse is the first rodent species shown to complete nephrogenesis prior to birth. This makes it an attractive candidate for the study of fetal and neonatal kidney development and function. The reduced total nephron number and cortex to medulla ratio in the spiny mouse may contribute to its ability to highly concentrate its urine under stressful conditions (i.e. dehydration).
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