ABSTRACT
In this study specific antibody have been used for tracing type IV collagen basement membrane during renal tubules morphogenesis in mouse fetuses. 20 female Balb/C mice were selected randomly and were kept under normal condition, finding vaginal plug was assumed as day zero of pregnancy. 12 pregnant mice were sacrified by cervical dislocation in one of gestational days 13-18 and their fetuses were fixed, serially sectioned and immunohistochemistry study for tracing of collagen type IV in BMG was carried out. The same processes were used for kidneys preparation on 5, 10, 15 and 20 postnatal days newborns of 2 mothers for each day. Based on our data, Collagen IV showed weak reaction on day 14 of gestation in tubular BM. The amount of collagen increased continuously until next days of fetal life and primary of 5 days postnatal in BM. After this period, collagen IV reaction was not showed significant change in newborns. These results indicate that developmental changes in various nephron segments from most immature stages to most differentiated structures are dependent to the type IV collagen expression