Lysozyme-containing renal tubular hyaline droplets in F344 rats bearing a rat fibrosarcoma-derived transplantable tumor

Abstract

Renal tubular hyaline droplets developed in male and female F344 rats bearing a rat fibrosarcoma-derived transplantable tumor (SS). The droplets accumulated exclusively in the proximal renal tubular epithelia as eosinophilic granules of various sizes in hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections. The granules stained bright red with azan-Mallory stain. Immunohistochemically, the droplets were positive for lysozyme to various degrees but were negative for α2u-globulin, albumin, and α1-antitrypsin. These findings indicated the involvement of lysozyme, a low-molecular-weight protein, in the droplet formation. The morphological and immunohistochemical findings of the hyaline droplets bore a close resemblance to those reported in rats as a secondary lesion to spontaneous histiocytic sarcomas. Others have speculated that renal tubular hyaline droplets in histiocytic sarcoma- bearing rats are formed in lysosomes through cellular overload of lysozyme secreted excessively by the tumor cells. However, neoplastic cells of SS tumors were negative to lysozyme. The pathogenesis of renal hyaline droplets appearing in SS tumor-bearing rats remains to be investigated.