Renal and biliary abnormalities in a new murine model of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease.

Current models of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) fail to demonstrate biliary abnormalities in association with renal cysts. We therefore studied a new murine model of ARPKD in which dual renal tubular and biliary epithelial abnormalities are present. Affected homozygous animals typically die 1 month postnatally in renal failure with progressively enlarged kidneys. Renal cysts shift in site from inner cortical proximal tubules at birth to collecting tubules 20 days later, as determined by segment-specific lectin binding. Increased numbers of mitosis were demonstrated in proximal and collecting tubular cysts. In addition, epithelial hyperplasia was demonstrated morphometrically in the intra- and extrahepatic biliary tract of affected animals. The number of intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells was increased by 50% on postnatal day 5 and by 100% on postnatal day 25 (P < 0.01). Despite an increased frequency of "chaotic" portal areas in mice with renal cysts, no intrahepatic cysts or shape abnormalities of the biliary lumen were detected using biliary casts and morphometry. Additionally there was nonobstructive hyperplastic dilatation of the extrahepatic biliary tract which was linked in all animals to the presence of renal cysts. The hyperplastic abnormalities in both renal and biliary epithelium make this new mouse strain a good model for the study of the dual organ cellular pathophysiology of ARPKD.