Application of RPTEC/TERT1 cells for investigation of repeat dose nephrotoxicity: A transcriptomic study

• Published in: Toxicology in vitro Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 106 - 116
• Main Authors: Aschauer, Lydia, Limonciel, Alice, Wilmes, Anja, Stanzel, Sven, Kopp-Schneider, Annette, Hewitt, Philip, Lukas, Arno, Leonard, Martin O., Pfaller, Walter, Jennings, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 25.12.2015
• Subjects: Cell Culture Techniques; Cell Line; Electric Impedance; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Humans; Kidney Diseases - chemically induced; Kidney Tubules, Proximal - cytology; Lactates - metabolism; Nephrotoxin; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Proximal tubule; RPTEC/TERT1; Stress response; Transcriptome; Transcriptomics; Proximal tubule; RPTEC/TERT1; Nephrotoxin; Stress response; Transcriptomics
• ISSN: 0887-2333; 1879-3177
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2014.10.005

[Display omitted] •RPTEC/TERT1 cells are an excellent tool for repeat dose toxicity applications.•Transcriptomics is more sensitive and more informative than cytotoxicity assays.•Differentiation genes were the most sensitive responders to drug-induced injury.•We identified several potential novel translational biomarkers. The kidney is a major target organ for toxicity. Incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing at an alarming rate due to factors such as increasing population age and increased prevalence of heart disease and diabetes. There is a major effort ongoing to develop superior predictive models of renal injury and early renal biomarkers that can predict onset of CKD. In the EU FP7 funded project, Predict-IV, we investigated the human renal proximal tubule cells line, RPTEC/TERT1 for their applicability to long term nephrotoxic mechanistic studies. To this end, we used a tiered strategy to optimise dosing regimes for 9 nephrotoxins. Our final testing protocol utilised differentiated RPTEC/TERT1 cells cultured on filter inserts treated with compounds at both the apical and basolateral side, at concentrations not exceeding IC10, for 14days in a 24h repeat application. Transepithelial electrical resistance and supernatant lactate were measured over the duration of the experiments and genome wide transcriptomic profiles were assayed at day 1, 3 and 14. The effect of hypoxia was investigated for a subset of compounds. The transcriptomic data were analysed to investigate compound-specific effects, global responses and mechanistically informative signatures. In addition, several potential clinically useful renal injury biomarkers were identified.