Significance of elevated urinary human intestinal alkaline phosphatase in Japanese people exposed to environmental cadmium.

Urinary human intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP), beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-MG) and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) were analyzed in 40 Japanese environmental-cadmium (Cd)-exposed and 40 non-exposed subjects to evaluate early biological markers for Cd-induced renal damage. All urinary indicators were significantly higher in the Cd-exposed subjects than non-exposed subjects. A fourth-order function was fitted for the relationship between beta 2-MG and IAP or NAG.

New occupational risk factors for chronic renal failure.

Occupational pollutants may have a role in development of chronic renal failure (CRF). Most epidemiological studies have been cross-sectional, limited to certain renal diagnoses, or concentrated on early transient renal effects. In a case-control study, we examined the association between CRF and occupational exposure.

Immunoradiometric method and electrophoretic system compared for quantifying bone alkaline phosphatase in serum.

Agarose electrophoresis (Isopal, Beckman) and an immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) involving specific monoclonal antibodies (Ostase, Hybritech), two methods for the quantification of serum bone alkaline phosphatase (ALP, EC 3.1.3.

Cytotoxicity of mercury compounds in LLC-PK1, MDCK and human proximal tubular cells.

Six mercury compounds [HgCl2 (MC), Hg(CH3COO)2 (MA), Hg(NO3)2 (MN), C2H5HgSC6H4COONa (EMT), C6H5HgOCOCH3 (PMA) and CH3CIHg (MMC)] were studied using two kidney cell lines (MDCK and LLC-PK1), primary cultures of human proximal tubular cells (hPTC) and nonrenal cell lines (SAOS and Hep G2). Cell damage was measured with four different tests: neutral red uptake, mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity (MTT conversion), thymidine incorporation and protein content. Relative toxicity was established by the determination of the concentration of test compound inducing a 50% reduction of the parameter considered (EC50 value).

Time course of growth factor expression in mercuric chloride acute renal failure.

Background: Renal EGF expression decreases in varying models of acute renal failure (ARF). We found previously that the loss of distal tubular EGF during gentamicin ARF is strongest in the cortex, where proximal tubular injury was most severe. To gain more insight into the mechanism underlying this apparent anatomical association, renal growth factor expression was investigated during mercuric chloride ARF, in which proximal tubular injury is most severe in the outer stripe of the outer medulla (OSOM).

Impact of legislative measures on the sales of analgesics and the subsequent prevalence of analgesic nephropathy: a comparative study in France, Sweden and Belgium.

In a number of European countries (e.g. Belgium), analgesic nephropathy continues to be a highly prevalent renal disease, whereas in other countries (e.

Wegener granulomatosis is associated to exposure to silicon compounds: a case-control study.

Wegener granulomatosis is a rare disease of unknown aetiology. In the majority of these patients the kidney is involved in the disease process. We performed a case-control study to evaluate the role of occupational exposure in the development of Wegener granulomatosis with renal involvement.

Early urinary markers of target nephron segments as studied in cadmium toxicity.

A number of chemicals may adversely affect one or more of the anatomical structures of the kidney, such as the glomerulus, the tubular apparatus, the medullary, or interstitial cells. To recognize subclinical renal dysfunction, a battery of new, non-invasive tests was applied in comparison to established ones. The study on cadmium exposed subjects, performed within the framework of a collaborative European research project, exemplifies the concept of target selectivity within a nephron.

Human intestinal versus tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase as complementary urinary markers for the proximal tubule.

The availability of early biological markers of renal damage is important for the identification of risk factors and for starting therapeutic intervention in the reversible phase of renal pathology. The usefulness of such markers relies upon their capacity to detect alterations in distinct nephron segments. Using specific monoclonal antibodies against the intestinal isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (IAP) and against the tissue-nonspecific isoenzyme (TNAP), we demonstrated that IAP expression in the human kidney is restricted to the straight part of the proximal tubule (the S3 segment), whereas TNAP is expressed mainly in the proximal convoluted tubule (the S1 and S2 segments) but also in the S3 segment.

Effects of foetal calf serum on cell viability, cytotoxicity and detoxification in the two kidney-derived cell lines LLC-PK1 and MDCK.

Foetal calf serum (FCS) dependent cell viability, cytotoxicity and detoxification were investigated in MDCK and LLC-PK1 cells. FCS was used at 0-10% (v/v). Viability and cytotoxicity were measured by neutral red uptake and by the MTT test.

Hypozincemia in depression.

This study investigates serum levels of zinc in 48 unipolar depressed subjects (16 minor, 14 simple major and 18 melancholic subjects) and 32 normal volunteers, and the relationships between zincemia and plasma neopterin levels, postdexamethasone adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol values, and anorexia-weight loss. Serum zinc levels were significantly lower in major depressed subjects than in normal controls, whereas minor depressed subjects showed intermediate values. There were significant negative correlations between serum zinc, and severity of depression and plasma neopterin concentrations.

EGF and TGF-alpha in the human kidney: identification of octopal cells in the collecting duct.

Unlabelled: Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) are well-known mitogens expressed in the kidney. Their human renal cell origin has not been conclusively identified. The distribution of EGF and TGF-alpha was investigated immunohistochemically in the adult human kidney in comparison with the monkey and rodent kidney.

Hyperplasia, hypertrophy, and phenotypic alterations in the distal nephron after acute proximal tubular injury in the rat.

Background: Little is known about the impact of acute proximal tubular injury and dysfunction on the distal nephron.

Experimental Design: Selective necrosis of the kidney proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) was induced in rats by subcutaneous injection of the aminoglycoside gentamicin during 2 days. Damage and repair were measured until complete morphologic recovery after 10 days.

Quantitative HPLC/ETAAS hybrid method with an on-line metal scavenger for studying the protein binding and speciation of aluminum and iron.

A quantitative metal-free high-performance liquid chromatographic/electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric (HPLC/ETAAS) technique allowing an adequate separation of the proteins and of the inorganic/organic metal species of interest was developed. A silica-based scavenger was placed proximal to the injection valve retaining any remaining Al and Fe originating from buffer solutions and recipients. ETAAS instrumental conditions and matrix modifiers were carefully selected to eliminate interferences occurring due to the salt gradient elution.

Requirement of monocytes and T-helper cells during development of tumor cell cytotoxicity in targeted T cells.

In cocultures of human placental alkaline phosphatase(PLAP)-positive MO4 tumor cells and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), also containing a heteroconjugate (7E8-OKT3) synthesized between the anti-PLAP monoclonal antibody 7E8 and the anti-CD3 antibody OKT3, and supplemented with low levels of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2), T cells are progressively activated, resulting in tumor cell lysis. To unravel the contribution of PBMC subsets to the generation of this targetable cytotoxicity, PBMC subsets were studied after their isolation by cell sorting, either from fresh PBMC or from PBMC pre-activated with OKT3 and rIL-2. Whereas no targetable cytotoxicity was found in Fc-receptor-bearing CD3- cells, tumor cells were lysed by CD3+ T cells (mostly CD8+) isolated from pre-activated PBMC.

Epidermal growth factor in acute renal failure.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is produced in large amounts in the kidney in the form of a membrane-bound high molecular weight precursor. This precursor is inserted in the apical plasma membrane of the EGF-producing cells, which are localized in the thick ascending limb and distal convoluted tubule in mouse and rat kidney, and probably also in human kidney. High levels of EGF are excreted in urine, although renal tissue contains little mature EGF.

Analgesic nephropathy in Belgium is related to the sales of particular analgesic mixtures.

Analgesic nephropathy, a chronic progressive renal disease induced by the abuse of drugs containing analgesics and potentially addictive substances (e.g. caffeine, codeine), continues to be a serious problem in Belgium.

Urinary and biliary excretion of aluminoxamine and ferrioxamine in dogs with various renal function.

We assessed the pharmacokinetics of aluminoxamine and ferrioxamine in dogs with sustained intermittent bile duct ligation and either normal renal function or stable chronic renal failure. A first group of male beagle dogs were given aluminoxamine and ferrioxamine, while a second group received desferrioxamine after loading them with iron and aluminum. Only minute amounts of ferrioxamine and aluminoxamine were found in the bile after administration of these compounds.

Human urinary intestinal alkaline phosphatase as an indicator of S3-segment-specific alterations in incipient diabetic nephropathy.

Urinary enzymes were determined in a controlled study including 28 type I diabetes mellitus patients. Fifteen patients had persistent microalbuminuria and were compared to 13 normoalbuminuric patients with comparable age and sex distribution. All patients had normal renal function as measured by serum creatinine.