Mesangial cell cultures

Cell culture of glomerular mesangial cells (MC) has been available to most renal research laboratories since the early 80s. Key to a large number of s tudies on the biochemistry and molecular biology of the glomerulus, MC in c ulture have extensive analogies with this in vivo rather undifferentiated i ntercapillary cell population. They proliferate in response to mitogens and growth factors, can be growth-arrested by withdrawal of serum or 3D cultur e in collagen gels, synthesize an extracellular matrix that includes inters titial collagens, and display most markers of mesangial origin, including a functional contractile apparatus. As proliferation and matrix synthesis/de gradation in vitro are regulated by cytokines and growth factors, cultured cells are an ideal tool for studying pathophysiological events such as mesa ngial expansion, scarring, and glomerulosclerosis, Current techniques for M C isolation and culture are reviewed, with several methodological issues re levant to the characterization, propagation and long-term maintenance of fu nctional clones.