Human Renal Biopsies as Source of Cells for Glomerular and Tubular Cell Cultures

Abstract

Glomerular and tubular cells were obtained from normal and pathological human renal biopsies. Single nephron structures were isolated by microdissection for culture. Proximal and distal tubular cells were cultivated for 5-6 weeks (three passages), whereas outgrowth of glomerular cells was sparse and after three weeks infiltrated by mesangial cells. The morphology of cultures obtained from pathological tissue was comparable with the morphology of normal cells, although cultures were more often overgrown by fibroblasts. In culture, both proximal and distal tubular cells retained physiological responses characteristic of their origin. Epidermal growth factor induced growth of proximal tubular cells. The proximal tubular cells were furthermore characterized by cAMP response to parathyroid hormone (PTH) stimulation. The distal tubular cells showed cAMP response to both PTH and vasopressin stimulation. Twelve of 17 cultures obtained from patients with no tubular injuries showed cAMP response to PTH stimulation compared with 2 of 9 cultures from renal tissue with tubular injuries.

Key Words:

• cell culture
• renal biopsy
• glomerular cells
• tubular cells
• parathyroid hormone
• vasopressin
• CAMP