STUDIES ON THE INNERVATION OF HUMAN RENAL-ALLOGRAFTS

Kidneys are innervated by a plexus of nerves around the renal artery, which is disrupted by transplantation. This is a report of a compariso n of the ner, es in human renal allografts and normal kidneys. There w ere many sympathetic ganglia around normal renal arteries but none aro und transplanted vessels, although equal numbers of ganglia were prese nt in hilar tissues of normal and transplanted kidneys. An immunohisto logical study with an antibody to synaptophysin showed that the number of synapses in transplanted ganglia was severely reduced. Immunohisto logical studies on allograft kidneys using antibodies to various neuro filament proteins and the Schwann cell marker S100 shelved a marked re duction in neurofilament proteins shortly after transplantation with s ubsequent partial recovery, and a lesser reduction in S100. Renal allo grafts have structurally abnormal innervation but are not completely d enervated. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.