development-human-renal-tubular-epithelial-cell-primary-cultures

Development of Human Renal Tubular Epithelial Cell Primary Cultures in Monolayers and Three-Dimensional Conditions

Human renal tubular epithelial cell (HRTEC) primary cultures are isolated from kidneys removed from pediatric patients undergoing nephrectomies indicated ...

Universidad de Buenos Aires – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET)

Universidad de Buenos Aires

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is one of the most common causes of acute renal failure in children. The majority of cases are associated with Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing  (STEC). In Argentina, HUS is endemic and presents the highest incidence rate in the world. STEC strains expressing Stx type 2 (Stx2) are responsible for the most severe cases of this pathology. Subtilase cytotoxin (SubAB) is another STEC virulence factor that may contribute to HUS pathogenesis. To date, neither a licensed vaccine nor effective therapy for HUS is available for humans. Considering that Ouabain (OUA) may prevent the apoptosis process, in this study we evaluated if OUA is able to avoid the damage caused by Stx2 and SubAB on human glomerular endothelial cells (HGEC) and the human proximal tubule epithelial cell (HK-2) line. HGEC and HK-2 were pretreated with OUA and then incubated with the toxins. OUA protected the HGEC viability from Stx2 and SubAB cytotoxic effects, and also prevented the HK-2 viability from Stx2 effects. The protective action of OUA on HGEC and HK-2 was associated with a decrease in apoptosis and an increase in cell proliferation. Our data provide evidence that OUA could be considered as a therapeutic strategy to avoid the renal damage that precedes HUS.

Ouabain Protects Human Renal Cells against the Cytotoxic Effects of Shiga Toxin Type 2 and Subtilase Cytotoxin.

Shiga toxin (Stx), produced by , is the main pathogenic factor of diarrhea-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is characterized by the obstruction of renal microvasculature by platelet-fibrin thrombi. It is well known that the oxidative imbalance generated by Stx induces platelet activation, contributing to thrombus formation. Moreover, activated platelets release soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L), which in turn contributes to oxidative imbalance, triggering the release of reactive oxidative species (ROS) on various cellular types. The aim of this work was to determine if the interaction between the oxidative response and platelet-derived sCD40L, as consequence of Stx-induced endothelium damage, participates in the pathogenic mechanism during HUS. Activated human glomerular endothelial cells (HGEC) by Stx2 induced platelets to adhere to them. Although platelet adhesion did not contribute to endothelial damage, high levels of sCD40L were released to the medium. The release of sCD40L by activated platelets was inhibited by antioxidant treatment. Furthermore, we found increased levels of sCD40L in plasma from HUS patients, which were also able to trigger the respiratory burst in monocytes in a sCD40L-dependent manner. Thus, we concluded that platelet-derived sCD40L and the oxidative response are reciprocally stimulated during Stx2-associated HUS. This process may contribute to the evolution of glomerular occlusion and the microangiopathic lesions.

Soluble CD40 Ligand and Oxidative Response Are Reciprocally Stimulated during Shiga Toxin-Associated Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome.

Shiga toxin (Stx) producing  (STEC) is responsible for causing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening thrombotic microangiopathy characterized by thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, and acute renal failure after bacterially induced hemorrhagic diarrhea. Until now, there has been neither an effective treatment nor method of prevention for the deleterious effects caused by Stx intoxication. Antibodies are well recognized as affinity components of therapeutic drugs; thus, a previously obtained recombinant human FabC11:Stx2 fragment was used to neutralize Stx2 in vitro in a Vero cell viability assay. Herein, we demonstrated that this fragment neutralized, in a dose-dependent manner, the cytotoxic effects of Stx2 on human glomerular endothelial cells, on human proximal tubular epithelial cells, and prevented the morphological alterations induced by Stx2. FabC11:Stx2 protected mice from a lethal dose of Stx2 by toxin-antibody pre-incubation. Altogether, our results show the ability of a new encouraging molecule to prevent Stx-intoxication symptoms during STEC infection.

Human Recombinant Fab Fragment Neutralizes Shiga Toxin Type 2 Cytotoxic Effects  and .

In Argentina, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by EHEC has the highest incidence in the world. EHEC infection has an endemo-epidemic behavior, causing 20-30% of acute bloody diarrhea syndrome in children under 5 years old. In the period 2016-2020, 272 new cases per year were notified to the National Health Surveillance System. Multiple factors are responsible for HUS incidence in Argentina including person-to-person transmission. In order to detect possible EHEC carriers, we carried out a preliminary study of the frequency of kindergarten teachers with anti-LPS antibodies against the most prevalent EHEC serotypes in Argentina. We analyzed 61 kindergarten teachers from 26 institutions from José C. Paz district, located in the suburban area of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Fifty-one percent of the plasma samples had antibodies against O157, O145, O121 and O103 LPS: 6.4% of the positive samples had IgM isotype (n=2), 61.3% IgG isotype (n=19) and 32.3% IgM and IgG (n=10). Given that antibodies against LPS antigens are usually short-lived specific IgM detection may indicate a recent infection. In addition, the high percentage of positive samples may indicate a frequent exposure to EHEC strains in the cohort studied, as well as the existence of a large non-symptomatic population of adults carrying pathogenic strains that could contribute to the endemic behavior through person-to-person transmission. The improvement of continuous educational programs in kindergarten institutions could be a mandatory measure to reduce HUS cases not only in Argentina but also globally.

Detection of plasma anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antibodies against enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) in asymptomatic kindergarten teachers from Buenos Aires province.

Article	Year
Ouabain Protects Human Renal Cells against the Cytotoxic Effects of Shiga Toxin Type 2 and Subtilase Cytotoxin. Toxins\| PubMed ID: 28718802	2017
Soluble CD40 Ligand and Oxidative Response Are Reciprocally Stimulated during Shiga Toxin-Associated Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. Toxins\| PubMed ID: 29068360	2017
Human Recombinant Fab Fragment Neutralizes Shiga Toxin Type 2 Cytotoxic Effects and . Toxins\| PubMed ID: 30513821	2018
Detection of plasma anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antibodies against enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) in asymptomatic kindergarten teachers from Buenos Aires province. Revista Argentina de microbiologia\| PubMed ID: 37704516	2024

Cristina Ibarra

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