title: Mechanisms involved in calcium oxalate endocytosis by Madin-Darby canine kidney cells.
abstract: Calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals adhere to and are internalized by tubular renal cells and it seems that this interaction is related (positively or negatively) to the appearance of urinary calculi. The present study analyzes a series of mechanisms possibly involved in CaOx uptake by Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. CaOx crystals were added to MDCK cell cultures and endocytosis was evaluated by polarized light microscopy. This process was inhibited by an increase in intracellular calcium by means of ionomycin (100 nM; N = 6; 43.9% inhibition; P<0.001) or thapsigargin (1 microM; N = 6; 33. 3% inhibition; P<0.005) administration, and via blockade of cytoskeleton assembly by the addition of colchicine (10 microM; N = 8; 46.1% inhibition; P<0.001) or cytochalasin B (10 microM; N = 8; 34.2% inhibition; P<0.001). Furthermore, CaOx uptake was reduced when the activity of protein kinase C was inhibited by staurosporine (10 nM; N = 6; 44% inhibition; P<0.01), or that of cyclo-oxygenase by indomethacin (3 microM; N = 12; 17.2% inhibition; P<0.05); however, the uptake was unaffected by modulation of potassium channel activity with glibenclamide (3 microM; N = 6), tetraethylammonium (1 mM; N = 6) or cromakalim (1 microM; N = 6). Taken together, these data indicate that the process of CaOx internalization by renal tubular cells is similar to the endocytosis reported for other systems. These findings may be relevant to cellular phenomena involved in early stages of the formation of renal stones.
authors.affiliation: Divisão de Nefrologia, Departamento de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002129:Calcium Oxalate / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D003460:Crystallization; D004285:Dogs; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008859:Microscopy, Polarization
chemical_list: D002129:Calcium Oxalate