title: Cadmium induces direct morphological changes in mesangial cell culture.
abstract: The cadmium produced by industrial and agricultural practice represents a major environmental pollutant which may induce severe damage, especially in the kidney where cadmium accumulates. While cadmium is known to severely impair renal tubular functions, glomerular structures are also potential targets. The present study investigated the effects of cadmium on glomerular mesangial cell cultures after short- and long-term exposures, requiring for each endpoint specific culture conditions. After 30 min exposure to 1 microM CdCl(2), used as non-lethal concentration, 0.14 ng/microg proteins of cadmium was internalized by the cells as evaluated by atomic emision spectrometry and induced a significant, cell surface reduction (8.9+/-1.9%). These morphological changes could be correlated to smooth muscle alpha-actin disorganization, without quantitative change in its protein expression level as evaluated by Western-blot and Northern-blot analysis (SMAmRNA/28sRNA, 1.78 CdCl(2) vs. 1.42 control). For longer exposure times, in complex medium, cadmium uptake was efficient (0.36 ng/microg proteins) and induced changes in the actin cytoskeleton with no loss of cell membrane integrity. This study suggests that cultured mesangial cells provide an alternative model to study the effect of cadmium, and underlines the importance of using well-defined conditions to study further intracellular mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire, UFR Pharmacie, Université Victor-Ségalen, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F33076, Bordeaux, France. sec-biocell-geppr@u-bordeaux2.fr
authors.forename: Béatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: L'Azou
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dubus
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ohayon-Courtès
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Labouyrie
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pouvreau
authors.forename: Ludivine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Juvet
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cambar
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005920:Glomerular Mesangium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018994:Myosin Light Chains / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D014746:Vimentin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D018994:Myosin Light Chains; D014746:Vimentin; D002104:Cadmium; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains