Immunophenotypical Characterization of M1/M2 Macrophages and Lymphocytes in Cisplatin-Induced Rat Progressive Renal Fibrosis

Renal fibrosis is regarded as the common final pathway leading to chronic kidney diseases; macrophages and myofibroblasts play important roles in the development of fibrosis. F344 rats were injected once with cisplatin (CDDP; 6 mg/kg BW) for renal lesions. Here, immunophenotypical characteristics of macrophages and lymphocytes in CDDP-induced rat renal lesions were investigated histopathologically; the CDDP-induced renal lesions consisted of tissue damage at the early-stage, worsen the damage and commencement of interstitial fibrosis at the mid-stage, and progressive fibrosis at the late stage; the KIM-1 expression and α-SMA(+) myofibroblast area reflected renal tubular damage/abnormal regeneration and renal interstitial fibrosis, respectively. CD68(+) M1 macrophages began to increase at the mid-stage, with increased mRNA expressions of M1-related cytokines (INF-γ, TNF-α and IL-6), and then slightly decreased at the late-stage. CD163(+) M2 macrophages showed a gradually increased number at the mid- and late-stages, accompanied by increased TGF-β1 mRNA expression (a fibrogenic factor). Double immunofluorescence using fibrotic samples at the late-stage revealed that 62.0–78.0% of CD68(+) M1 macrophages co-expressed CD163, indicating that M1/M2 macrophages may contribute to progressive renal fibrosis in cooperation; further, MHC class II-expressing macrophages had a tendency towards M1 polarization, whereas CD204-expressing macrophages towards M2 polarization. In addition, CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells were increased at the late-stage. Collectively, progressive renal interstitial fibrosis may be developed by complicated mechanisms that arose via interaction of M1/M2 macrophages (inflammatory for M1 and anti-inflammatory for M2) and T cells reacting to CD4 (for helper) and CD8 (for cytotoxicity). This study would provide some information on the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis based on inflammatory cells.