Dynamics of differentiated-renal epithelial cell monolayer after calcium oxalate injury: The role of cyclooxygenase-2

Calcium oxalate (Oxa), constituent of most common kidney stones, damages renal tubular epithelial cells leading to kidney disease. Most in vitro studies designed to evaluate how Oxa exerts its harmful effects were performed in proliferative or confluent non-differentiated renal epithelial cultures; none of them considered physiological hyperosmolarity of renal medullary interstitium. Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) has been associated to Oxa deleterious actions; however, up to now, it is not clear how COX2 acts. In this work, we proposed an in vitro experimental system resembling renal differentiated-epithelial cells that compose medullary tubular structures which were grown and maintained in a physiological hyperosmolar environment and evaluated whether COX2 → PGE2 axis (COX2 considered a cytoprotective protein for renal cells) induces Oxa damage or epithelial restitution. MDCK cells were differentiated with NaCl hyperosmolar medium for 72 h where cells acquired the typical apical and basolateral membrane domains and a primary cilium. Then, cultures were treated with 1.5 mM Oxa for 24, 48, and 72 h to evaluate epithelial monolayer restitution dynamics and COX2-PGE2 effect. Oxa completely turned the differentiated phenotype into mesenchymal one (epithelial-mesenchymal transition). Such effect was partially and totally reverted after 48 and 72 h, respectively. Oxa damage was even deeper when COX2 was blocked by NS398. PGE2 addition restituted the differentiated-epithelial phenotype in a time and concentration dependence. This work presents an experimental system that approaches in vitro to in vivo renal epithelial studies and, more important, warns about NSAIDS use in patients suffering from kidney stones. [Display omitted] •Renal epithelial cells lose differentiated features after oxalate (Oxa) addition.•Differentiated-renal epithelial cells turn into mesenchymal-like ones by Oxa action.•Epithelial cell monolayer restitution occurred after 72 h of Oxa challenge.•COX2 → PGE2 participates in the restitution of Oxa-damaged epithelial cell monolayer.