Fig. 5

Metabolic milieu correction by citrulline improves renal function. a Graphical scheme of citrulline treatment in control and Slc7a7^KO mice. b Blood urea nitrogen, c albumin and d total protein in serum from control and Slc7a7 knockout mice treated with citrulline. e Mitochondrial respiratory capacity in mitochondrial extracts from the cortex of control and Slc7a7^KO mice as previously described. f Left: Representative photographs of α-SMA-stained kidney sections. Right: Quantification of the positive area of α-SMA staining in control and Slc7a7^KO mice treated with citrulline. g ELISA of serum erythropoietin in mice treated with citrulline. h Percentages of erythroblast populations in control and Slc7a7^KO mice untreated, treated with citrulline or with erythropoietin. The data are presented as the means ± SEMs. Two-way ANOVA. i MCV, j HCT, k MCH, l HGB and m RBC counts in the whole blood of control and Slc7a7^KO untreated mice (solid bars), control and Slc7a7^KO mice treated with citrulline (polka dots), and control and Slc7a7^KO mice treated with erythropoietin (checkered pattern). n Graphical scheme of erythropoietin administration in control and Slc7a7^KO mice. Unless specified, all the data are presented as the means ± SEMs. Statistical analysis was performed via a two-tailed unpaired Student’s t test. Each data point represents a single animal