Light microscopic lectin histochemistry in aging mouse kidney: study of compositional changes in glycoconjugates.

We report compositional changes in glycoconjugates in mouse kidney cortex due to aging, as analyzed by lectin histochemistry and Western blot analysis. Mouse kidney tissues of prenatal and postnatal ages (prenatal, 19 days of gestation; postnatal 2 and 8 days, 4 and 13 weeks, and 10 months) were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and cryosections were made. They were stained with 16 kinds of biotinylated lectin, followed by ABC, for light microscopy. Tissue homogenate was also examined by Western blotting for WGA, ConA, and Lotus. Changes in glycoconjugates due to prenatal and postnatal aging were detected by both lectin histochemistry and Western blotting.