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H Simonnet

Publications and source records attributed to H Simonnet.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

Glucose-6-phosphatase mRNA levels in kidney isolated tubule suspensions are increased by dexamethasone and decreased by insulin.

The strong induction of renal glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) during starvation has been suggested to be responsible for the increased role of the kidney in glucose production during long-term fasting. To investigate whether this induction may be caused by a direct hormonal effect on the renal proximal tubular cell, we incubated rat renal tubule suspensions in the presence of glucocorticoids or insulin for 6 hours; normoxia was required, since hypoxic conditions were associated with markedly decreased G6Pase mRNA levels despite maintenance of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. The G6Pase mRNA level was increased twofold to threefold by 10(-8) to 10(-5) mol/L dexamethasone (DXM), whereas the most effective concentration of insulin, 10(-9) mol/L, induced only a 40% decrease. These results suggest that the increased role of the kidney in glucose production during long-term starvation could be linked to a direct effect of glucocorticoids on renal G6Pase.

Animals↗

Glycolysis inhibition by palmitate in renal cells cultured in a two-chamber system.

A major shortcoming of renal proximal tubular cells (RPTC) in culture is the gradual modification of their energy metabolism from the oxidative type to the glycolytic type. To test the possible reduction of glycolysis by naturally occurring long-chain fatty acids, RPTC were cultured in a two-chamber system, with albumin-bound palmitate (0.4 mM) added to the basolateral chamber after confluency. Twenty-four hours of contact with palmitate decreased glycolysis by 38% provided that carnitine was present; lactate production was decreased by 38%, and the decrease in glycolysis resulted from a similar decrease of basolateral and apical net uptake of glucose. In contrast to the previously described effect of the nonphysiological oxidative substrate heptanoate, palmitate promoted a long-term decrease in lactate production and sustained excellent cellular growth. After 4 days of contact, decreased glycolysis was maintained even in the absence of carnitine and resulted from a decrease of basolateral uptake only, suggestive of long-term regulation different from the earlier effects. Thus, although cultured RPTC lost their oxidative phenotype, they exhibited a type of regulation (Randle effect) that is found in the oxidative-type but not in the glycolytic-type tissues, therefore unmasking a regulative capacity barely detectable in fresh RPTC. Low PO2 (50 mmHg in the apical chamber) could be a major cause of elevated glycolysis and could hinder the effects of palmitate.

Animals↗

Advantages of a two-chamber culture system to test drug nephrotoxicity: the example of cephaloridine.

Rabbit renal proximal tubular cells, cultured to confluency on a permeable collagen film in a two-chamber system, were exposed for 72 h to various concentrations of the nephrotoxic antibiotic, cephaloridine (CLD). A decrease in cellular proteins, leakage of lactate dehydrogenase and morphological changes appeared at CLD concentrations of 0.1, 1.0, and 0.5 mg/ml, respectively. The permeability of the monolayer to Lucifer yellow (LY), a dye that does not cross cell membranes, was increased by 1 or 2 mg/ml but not by lower concentrations of CLD. The large basolateral/apical glucose concentration gradient established by the cells was decreased by CLD. However, the fact that, at the CLD concentration of 1 mg/ml, LY totally equilibrated by diffusion across the monolayer, whereas the injured monolayer was still able to maintain a detectable glucose gradient, shows that damage caused by CLD to the diffusion barrier prevails over that affecting glucose uptake. Consistent with the data in the literature concerning the mechanism of CLD accumulation in renal cells, our results show that CLD was more toxic when it was added at the basolateral than at the apical side of the cultured cells. These results illustrate the advantages of using a two-chamber system of cell culture in nephrotoxicity studies.

Animals↗

Advantages and limitations of the use of isolated kidney tubules in pharmacotoxicology.

Among the cellular models used in in vitro renal pharmacotoxicology, isolated kidney tubules, used as suspensions mainly of proximal tubules, offer important advantages. They can be prepared in large amounts under nonsterile conditions within 1-2 h; thus, it is possible to employ a great number of experimental conditions simultaneously and to obtain rapidly many experimental results. Kidney tubules can be prepared from the kidney of many animal species and also from the human kidney; given the very limited availability of healthy human renal tissue, it is therefore possible to choose the most appropriate species for the study of a particular problem encountered in man. Kidney tubules can be used for screening and prevention of nephrotoxic effects and to identify their mechanisms as well as to study the renal metabolism of xenobiotics. When compared with cultured renal cell, a major advantage of kidney tubules is that they remain differentiated. The main limitations of the use of kidney tubules in pharmacotoxicology are (1) the necessity to prepare them as soon as the renal tissue sample is obtained; (2) their limited viability, which is restricted to 2-3 h; (3) the inability to expose them chronically to a potential nephrotoxic drug; (4) the inability to study transepithelial transport; and (5) the uncertainty in the extrapolation to man of the results obtained using animal kidney tubules. These advantages and limitations of the use of human and animal kidney tubules in pharmacotoxicology are illustrated mainly by the results of experiments performed with valproate, an antiepileptic and moderately hyperammonemic agent. The fact that kidney tubules, unlike cultured renal cells, retain key metabolic properties is also shown to be of the utmost importance in detecting certain nephrotoxic effects.

Animals↗

Protein endocytosis by a kidney tubule suspension: metabolic requirements.

Endocytosis in the renal tubular cell is a permanent process serving the role of saving nitrogen from plasma peptides that are continuously cleared away by kidney glomerulus. Since small proteins appear in urine after strenuous exercise, it was hypothesized that renal ischemia impairs the tubular endocytic reabsorption of proteins. The aim of this paper is to describe a simple in vitro model of renal endocytosis and to use it in studies of endocytic metabolic requirements. The results show that rabbit renal proximal tubules in suspension are able to take up 125I-lysozyme, as well as RITC-lactalbumin. The fluorescent protein was taken up only by the ends of the everted tubule fragments, and accumulated into intracellular vesicles, demonstrating the luminal pathway of endocytosis. The amount of 125I-lysozyme taken up was equivalent to that taken up by isolated perfused tubules (Nielsen et al. (1986) Am. J. Physiol. 251, F822-F830). Anoxia decreased 12-fold the intracellular accumulation of 125I-lysozyme; however, the time-course of inhibition shows that only the late steps of endocytic accumulation are energy-dependent. Substrate deprivation studies suggest a specific role of glucose to sustain endocytosis. Lastly, renal uptake of 125I-lysozyme was shown to be strongly depressed by chloroquine, an alkalinizing agent of endosomes and lysosomes. We conclude that (1) renal tubules in suspension are a satisfactory model for endocytic studies in kidney; (2) suppressing oxygen and substrate supplies to kidney impairs endocytic tubular reabsorption of proteins.

Alanine↗

The binding of beta-2-microglobulin to renal brush-border membrane: affinity measurement, inhibition by serum albumin.

In the kidney, filtered proteins are rapidly reabsorbed so that the final excretion is less than 0.1% of the filtered amount for low molecular weight proteins such as beta 2-microglobulin and a few percent for albumin. In order to investigate the affinity of proteins for luminal membranes, rat renal brush-border membranes were incubated with 125I-labelled human beta 2-microglobulin and the initial binding rate determined by the filtration method. Scatchard plot analysis of binding rate revealed two types of binding sites: one with Km = 0.25.10(-6) M and Vmax = 0.1 nmol/min per mg protein and another with Km = 1.10(-5) M and Vmax = 1.3 nmol/min per mg protein. The lower affinity type is likely to represent non-specific binding the physiological role of which is to be discussed. The higher affinity sites seem to play the major role in binding rate. beta 2-Microglobulin initial binding is reversible, and inhibited by bovine serum albumin. Comparison of the time course of bound beta 2-microglobulin removal by unlabelled beta 2-microglobulin and by albumin suggests that these two proteins have a different internalization mechanism.

Alpha-Globulins↗

Rapid binding of beta 2-microglobulin to renal brush-border membranes.

125I-labelled human beta 2-microglobulin binding to rat renal brush-border membranes was assessed by an in vitro assay under near physiological incubation conditions (i.e. low content of albumin). Binding rate was 55 pmol/min per mg protein in the presence of 200 nM of beta 2-microglobulin and degradation rate was negligible versus binding rate. The binding rate was in reasonable agreement with the in vivo reabsorption rate, supporting the hypothesis of proteins binding to the luminal membrane during the process of reabsorption. Mild solubilizing treatment (Triton 0.1%) of brush border after beta 2-microglobulin binding yielded the labelled molecule associated with a high-molecular-weight component. Aminopeptidase activity and binding ability were to a certain extent co-purified during the course of the brush-border preparation, suggesting that most of the beta 2-microglobulin binding sites were localized in the brush-border membranes.

Aminopeptidases↗

Effect of acidosis, alkalosis and monofluoroacetate administration on citrate and ATP content of rat renal medulla and papilla.

1. --Renal distribution of citrate showed that there is an increase in citrate content from cortex to medulla and a decrease from medulla to papilla. Alkalosis produced an increase in citrate content and acidosis a decrease in renal citrate content, in each of the studied renal area. Monofluoroacetate produced no significant change in citrate content of medulla or papilla; it did not interfere with the acido-basic related changes in cortex citrate content, but its effect was additive. 2. --Renal distribution of ATP significantly decreased from cortex to medulla and from medulla to papilla. Acid or basic diet had no influence on intratissular ATP content. Fluoroacetate decreased renal ATP content.

Acidosis↗

A new device for differentiated tissue sampling in rat kidney.

Since freeze-clamping does not allow to sample the diffrent renal areas a new method of kidney tissue sampling in anesthetized rats is described. It consists in sectioning a slice in the middle of the rat kidney and immediately freezing. This device allows quick and accurate separation of the different renal areas, and especially of the papilla which is almost entirely sampled. Complete freezing is obtained within 7s after clamping of the renal artery. As proof of adequate "in vivo" fixing, adenine nucleotide levels were assessed in each tissue sample. ATP concentration in cortex samples was 1.62 +/- 0.33 mumole/g wet tissue, this value is comparable with those obtained in the cortex by freeze-clamping.

Adenine Nucleotides↗

Effect of monofluoroacetate on renal H+ excretion in the rat.

In order to investigate the effect of monofluoroacetate (MFA) on renal H+ excretion, anesthetized rats under mannitol diuresis were given intraperitoneally MFA and some of the acido-basic status parameters were determined. Urinary pH and pCO2 did not change after MFA administration, while urinary flow rate increased. MFA induced a decrease in H+ net excretion and in ammonia excretion. Titratable acidity did not change significantly within the experiment.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗

[Sialyltransferase in human malignant melanoma].

A glycosyltransferase, CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid : glycoprotein sialyltransferase was found in human malignant melanoma. Activities were measured with desialized glycoprotein as an exogenous acceptor. The enzyme was characterized by means of its pH optimum, 5.5, temperature optimum, 30 degrees C, KM values, 10 muM for the sugar nucleotide and 0.3 mM for desialized glycoprotein. It did not require exogenously added metal ions but was slightly stimulated by Mg2+. It required detergent for optimal activity. The effect of nucleotides and sugar nucleotides on enzyme activity has been investigated.

Enzyme Activation↗