Cells in culture from rabbit medullary thick ascending limb of Henle's loop

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Abstract
Freshly isolated cells obtained from the medullary segment of the rabbit thick ascending limb of Henle's loop (mTALH) metabolize arachidonic acid (AA) primarily by the cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase pathway forming several products; a vasorelaxant and an inhibitor of Na+-K+-ATPase have been identified. These studies have been extended to mTALH cells in culture. The ability of cells isolated from 1-mo-old rabbits to grow in culture far surpassed that of cells isolated from adult rabbits, whereas similar cytochrome P-450-dependent AA metabolites were produced by freshly isolated cells from rabbits of both ages. Three-week-old mTALH cultures formed ouabain-sensitive "domes" when grown on plastic surfaces and developed transepithelial voltages (4.7 + 1.2 mV, n = 6) when grown on gas-permeable surfaces. Electron microscopy of the cells showed typical mTALH cell characteristics. The presence of Tamm-Horsfall protein, a surface membrane protein of mTALH cells, in 90-95% of the cells confirmed the homogeneity of the cultures. Although several environmental manipulations were tested, mTALH cells in culture did not produce the same cytochrome P-450-dependent AA metabolites as those produced by mTALH cells before culture. However, a cytochrome P-450-dependent AA metabolite that differs from the AA metabolites formed by freshly isolated mTALH cells was produced by hemin-treated mTALH and heterogenous cell cultures.