Ion channels play a significant role in many physiological functions, including cell growth and differentiation. Autosomal dominant and recessive polycystic kidney diseases (ADPKD and ARPKD, respectively) are genetic disorders characterized by the development of renal fluid-filled cysts of the tubular epithelial cell origin. ADPKD is caused by mutations of PKD1 or PKD2 genes encoding polycystins 1 and 2, membrane proteins involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. PKD2 by itself or as a complex with PKD1 also function as a Ca2+-permeable cation channel1. Mutations of the PKHD1 gene encoding fibrocystin (a cilia-associated receptor-like protein involved in the tubulogenesis and/or maintenance of polarity of epithelium) are the genetic impetus of ARPKD2. Cyst growth is a complex phenomenon accompanied with disturbed proliferation3,4, angiogenesis5, dedifferentiation and loss of polarity of tubular cells6-8.
Defective reabsorption and augmented secretion in cystic epithelium contribute to fluid accumulation in the lumen and cyst expansion9,10. Impaired flow-dependent [Ca2+]iĀ signaling has been also linked to cystogenesis during PKD11-15.
Here, we describe a method suitable for patch-clamp measurements of single channel activity and intracellular Ca2+ levels in cystic epithelial monolayers isolated from PCK rats. This method was successfully applied by us to characterize of activity of the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC)10 and [Ca2+]i-dependent processes induced by Ca2+-permeable TRPV4 and purinergic signaling cascade13.
In these studies we used PCK rats, a model of ARPKD caused by a spontaneous mutation in the PKHD1 gene. The PCK strain was originally derived from Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats16 thereby SD rats are used as an appropriate control for comparison with the PCK strain. As a result, both SD rat nephron segments and non-dilated collecting ducts isolated from same PCK rats can serve as two different comparison groups for experiments on cystic epithelium.