Figure 1

Efficiency of gene transfer 4 wks after gene delivery. (A) Fluorescence microscopic images of frozen sections of the kidneys in the normal, no treatment, Ad-GFP Ad-ACE2, ACE1 and Ad-ACE2 + ACEI groups, respectively (bar = 50 µm). G indicates glomeruli and T indicates tubules. (B) Immunochemical staining showing the localization of ACE2 protein in cortical sections from each group. Weak ACE2 staining was observed in tubules from a rat in the no treatment and Ad-GFP groups, whereas marked ACE2 staining was depicted in both tubules and glomeruli from rats in the normal, Ad-ACE2, ACEI and Ad-ACE2 + ACEI groups (bar = 50 µm). (C, D, E) Quantitative analysis of ACE2 mRNA levels, protein levels and activities. *P < 0.05, ^#P < 0.01 versus normal group; ^‡P < 0.05, ^§P < 0.01 versus no treatment group.