Immune-mediated glomerulonephritis induced by mercuric chloride in mice

Summary The BALB/c mouse developed mesangial deposits of immune constituents and light microscopical changes characteristic of immune complex glomerulonephritis after 8 weeks' treatment with mercuric chloride given by s.c. injection. There were no signs of linear of granular immune deposits along the glomerular capillary basement membrane after 2 or 8 weeks. The antigen could not be identified. No antibodies to nuclear or renal structures were found. Using a histochemical method (silver amplification) mercury was detected by light and electron microscopy in tubular and glomerular structures. Mercury was present in secondary lysosomes of the mesangial cells after eight weeks of mercury poisoning.We are deeply indebted to Dr. Gorm Danscher, Institute of Anatomy, B., University of Aarhus, Denmark, for valuable discussions and technical advice. This work was supported by the Swedish Medical Research Council, project no 6536.