Isolation and Flow Cytometry Analysis of Macrophages from the Kidney.

ABSTRACT

Renal macrophages help maintain homeostasis, participate in tissue injury and repair, and play a vital role in immune surveillance [1-3]. Kidney macrophages can be broken down into two subsets, infiltrating macrophages, which can be further broken down into Ly6Chi and Ly6Clo cells, and kidney resident macrophages. While recent studies have shed light on the differing origins and niches of these cells, a more thorough understanding of kidney macrophage populations and how they may respond to various conditions is needed. This protocol describes how to efficiently isolate murine kidney macrophage populations for flow cytometry analysis.