12 Many of the best characterized Akt inhibitor experimental models of glomerular disease in vivo have been in rats, which

seem to be generally more susceptible than mice. It was therefore natural for researchers to wish to have rat podocyte cell lines with which to conduct parallel studies in vitro. Primary culture13 and transformed14 rat podocytes have been described. Insects provide a powerful research tool because of their rapid rate of reproduction and comparatively simple organ structure. The analogous cell to the podocyte in Drosophila (fruit fly) is the nephrocyte15 but as yet we are not aware of the development of cell lines derived from these. Conditionally immortalized human podocyte cell lines have been developed by transfection using both the temperature-sensitive mutant U19tsA58 of the SV40 large T antigen (SV40) and the essential catalytic subunit of the hTERT telomerase gene.9,10 The hTERT vector expresses

telomerase activity to maintain telomere length, preventing the occurrence of replicative senescence.16 Transfection of cells with SV40T allows cells to proliferate at the ‘permissive’ temperature of 33°C. Transfer to the ‘non-permissive’ temperature of 37°C results in the inactivation of large T antigen with minor changes in gene expression.17 Podocytes then enter growth arrest (Fig. 1) and express markers of differentiated in vivo podocytes, including the novel podocyte proteins, nephrin, podocin, CD2AP, and synaptopodin, and known molecules of the slit diaphragm ZO-1, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenin and this website P-cadherin.18 The donated human kidney (or portion of kidney) is packed in saline, on ice, Liothyronine Sodium and transferred by courier to the laboratory. The kidney is kept in a cool condition (kidney in separate container surrounded with wet ice bags/packs) during transportation at all times. Cells can be successfully cultured up to 24 h post nephrectomy. We believe that children’s kidney tissue is most productive, but we have successfully generated cell lines from adult kidney too. Set up the laminar flow hood before proceeding. Place sieves in order from top to bottom: 425 µM, 180 µM, 125 µM, 90 µM (the smallest size

is needed only for a kidney from a young child) sieves (Endecotts limited, London) and below them all a sterile container to collect the sieved material. Remove the outer membrane/capsule of the kidney and isolate the cortex with sterile disposable scalpels into small pieces from the medulla into a Petri dish. Chop up the cortex into small pieces then transfer to the sieve in a laminar flow hood and cut up more finely. Use a sterile plunger from a 50 mL or 100 mL syringe to push the small pieces through the top sieve (425 µM) while thoroughly washing the sieve with RPMI-1640 medium (without additives) or sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Repeat this until little is left on the top sieve. Sieving is achieved by fluid flushing and not washing the plunger for the 180 µM sieve onwards.