ABSTRACT
Membranous glomerulonephropathy can be experimentally induced in rats, but spontaneous cases have been rarely reported. In this report, we present a typical case of spontaneous membranous glomerulonephropathy in a rat. A male Hatano low-avoidance (LAA) strain rat had a tumor mass on the right auricle, and was sacrificed at 41 weeks of age. Urinary screening by reagent strips revealed intense proteinuria. Histological tests revealed frequent presence of irregularly sized eosinophilic hyaline materials on the capillary wall and in the mesangium of renal glomeruli. Immunofluorescence revealed granular deposits of IgG, IgM, and C3 in the glomeruli. Subepithelial dense deposits were observed by electron microscopy accompanied by podocyte foot process effacement and occasional irregular thickening of the glomerular basement membrane. The rat also developed chronic lymphocytic pancreatitis, and the tumor mass on the right auricle was diagnosed as a fibrosarcoma. Screening tests for antibodies against major infectious agents and antinuclear antibody were negative. Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence analyses suggested the presence of an autoantibody against the pancreatic component. The glomerulopathy was considered an early stage of membranous glomerulonephropathy.
