Isolation of a pure suspension of proximal tubular cells from the rabbit kidney: morphological, biochemical and metabolic assessment.

A pure suspension of proximal tubule cells from the rabbit kidney was isolated by a new procedure, without proteolytic enzyme treatment. Electron microscopic examination revealed that these intact cells had long microvilli. All the marker enzymes located in the proximal tubule were higher in the isolated cells compared with renal cortex. Adenylate cyclase activity of the isolated cells was increased by PTH and NaF stimulations, while other hormones had minor effects. This isolated cell suspension showed a high respiration rate, a linear glucose production and a normal cell ATP level. All these results confirmed the isolation of viable proximal tubular cells with high metabolic capacities from the rabbit kidney.