Abstract
Cultured nephron epithelia offer an advantage as they are available in a completely controlled monolayer environment. Some of the culture systems retain differentiated properties for a time span sufficient to study long term chemical and physical events in epithelia of defined nephronal origin. The characteristics expressed in culture include transepithelial voltage and resistance in cells derived from distal nephron segments, and the hormonal dependence of these parameters. Na−K-ATPase activity and its selective regulation by steroid and thyroid hormones has been evaluated in defined epithelial monolayers. Further, the acute stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity has been demonstrated in human nephron culture, and the Na-coupled glucose transport is present in cortical cell cultures. Transepithelial voltage and Na−K-ATPase activity may be considered complex and highly differentiated expressions of function as they are indicative of several apical and basal transporter systems in cultured polarized nephron cells. The intention of current work is to establish functional lines from defined segments of the nephron, using strategies of passage, cloning, and transfection.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Burg M, Green N, Sohraby S, Steele R, Handler J (1982) Differentiated function in cultured epithelia derived from thick ascending limbs. Am J Physiol 242:C229-C233
Chung SD, Alavi N, Livingston D, Hiller S, Taub M (1982) Characterization of primary rabbit kidney cultures that express proximal tubule functions in a hormonally defined medium. J Cell Biol 95:118–126
Currie MG, Cole BR, deSchryver-Kecskemeti K, Holmberg S, Needleman P (1983) Cell culture of renal epithelium derived from rabbit microdissected cortical collecting tubules. Am J Physiol 244:F724-F728
Curthoys NP, Belleman P (1979) Renal cortical cells in primary monolayer culture. Exp Cell Res 121:31–45
Detrisac CJ, Sens MA, Garvin AJ, Spicer SS, Sens DA (1984) Tissue culture of human kidney epithelial cells of proximal tubule origin. Kidney Int 25:383–390
Green N, Algren A, Hoyer J, Triche T, Burg M (1985) Differentiated lines of cells from rabbit renal medullary thick ascending limbs grown on amnion (submitted)
Gross P, Minuth WW, Frömter E (1984) Electrical properties of collecting duct principal cells in tissue culture. Pflügers Arch 402:R8 (abstr)
Horster MF (1979) Primary culture of mammalian nephron epithelia. Requirements for cell outgrowth and proliferation from defined explanted nephron segments. Pflügers Arch 382:209–215
Horster MF (1980) Hormonal stimulation and differential growth response of renal epithelial cells cultivated in vitro from individual nephron segments. Int J Biochem 12:29–35
Horster MF, Stopp M (1985) Transport functions and metabolism of cultured renal tubule cells. Kidney Int (in press)
Horster MF, Schmolke M, Gleich R (1983) Steroid dependence of function in cultured nephron epithelia. Proc Int U Physiol Sci XV:505 (abstr)
Horster MF, Schmolke M, Stopp M, Herzog V (1984) Thyroid and corticosteroid hormones induce differentiated function in cultured renal epithelia. J Cell Biol 99:214a (abstr)
Horster MF, Fabritius J, Schmolke M, Stopp M, Herzog V (1985) Expression of hormone-induced transport functions in cultured nephron epithelia (submitted)
Minuth WW (1982) Cell associated glycoproteins synthesized by cultured renal tubular cells. Histochemistry 76:89–106
Minuth WW, Essig G (1984) Effects of glycoprotein and basement membrane synthesis inhibitors on the growth of cultured renal collecting duct epithelium. Histochemistry 80:475–482
Schmolke M, Guder WG, Horster MF (1984) Assay of Na−K-ATPase in cultured nephron epithelia. Enzyme 31:187–190
Scott DM, Zierold K, Kinne-Saffran E, Kinne R (1984) Growth of isolated thick ascending limb of Henle's loop (TALH) cells in culture. Pflügers Arch 402:R7 (abstr)
Stopp M, Horster MF (1985) Binding of3H-aldosterone in cultured cortical collecting cells. Proc Vth Europ Coll Renal Physiol, p 75 (abstr)
Valentich JD (1984) A long term, functional cell line of thick ascending limb origin. J Cell Biol 99:295a (abstr)
Wilson PD, Horster MF (1983a) Differential response to hormones of defined distal nephron epithelia in culture. Am J Physiol 244:C166-C174
Wilson PD, Horster MF (1983b) Effect of vasopressin and other cAMP-inducing agents on cultured rabbit nephron segments. Kidney Int 23:286 (abstr)
Wilson PD, Dillingham MA, Breckon R, Anderson RJ (1985) Defined human renal tubular epithelia in culture: Growth, characterization, and hormonal response. Am J Physiol 248:F436-F443
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Horster, M.F., Fabritius, J. & Schmolke, M. The study of epithelial function by in vitro culture of nephron cells. Pflugers Arch. 405 (Suppl 1), S158–S162 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00581799
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00581799