In vitro formation of cysts derived from a rat model of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

In this study, we report a model of spontaneous cyst formation in vitro and a procedure to obtain large quantities of cysts from polycystic rat kidney cells. Furthermore, we assess the effects of epidermal growth factor, a modulator of morphogenesis, and of taxol, a stabilizer of microtubules, which has recently been proposed as a useful treatment of human polycystic kidney disease (PKD). It is anticipated that data generated from in vitro studies using cysts from PKD-affected rat kidneys may yield further insights to the pathophysiological and cellular basis of fatal renal cyst formation processes, and may lead to specific therapeutic strategies directed at controlling the growth of cysts, thereby reducing the number of animal tests.