[Induced differentiation of rat kidney stem cells into renal tubular epithelial cells].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the differentiation capability of kidney stem cells (KSCs) into renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs).


METHODS
KSCs isolated from the renal papilla of 4-week-old SD rats were co-cultured with hypoxia-exposed RTEC in induced medium (containing activin A, BMP-7, and retinoic acid) and renal epithelial cell growth medium (REGM) alternately. The KSCs cultured in MSC medium served as the control. The KSC differentiation rates in both groups were determined using flow cytometry, immunofluorescence assay and qRT-PCR.


RESULTS
Flow cytometry showed a CK-18 positive rate of 6.5Percnt; in the control KSC group and of 44.2% in the induced group. Immunofluorescence assay detected the positivity for mature epithelial cell markers CK-18, E-cadherin, and ZO-1 in the induced cells. The results of qRT-PCR showed significantly increased expression of E-cadherin and AQP-1 mRNAs in the induced cells compared with the control cells (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Rat KSCs can be induced to differentiate into RTECs in vitro.
Department of Geriatric Nephrology, General Hospital of PLA, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease, Beijing 100853, China.E-mail: yangguang@301hospital.com.cn.
Guang
G
Yang
Qingli
Q
Cheng
Chunlin
C
Li
Yong
Y
Yang
Yali
Y
Jia
Wen
W
Yue
Xuetao
X
Pei
Yang
Y
Liu
D028341:Activins / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D051398:Aquaporin 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D055419:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 / Q000737:chemistry; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D053538:Keratin-18 / Q000378:metabolism; D007684:Kidney Tubules / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000737:chemistry; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism
C496022:Aqp1 protein, rat; D055419:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7; D015820:Cadherins; D003470:Culture Media; D053538:Keratin-18; C569044:Tjp1 protein, rat; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein; C422405:activin A; D028341:Activins; D051398:Aquaporin 1; D014212:Tretinoin