[Effects of kidney stem cells on injure-recovery of human renal tubular epithelial cells].

Objective: To investigate the protective effects and the mechanism of kidney stem cells (KSC) on the injured tubular epithelial cells.

Methods: KSC were isolated from rat renal papilla. The human kidney epithelial cells (HKC) injury model was induced with 0.1 μmol/L antimycin A for 30 minutes. The injured HKC were co-cultured with KSC or supernatant of cultured KSC. The apoptosis of HKC were detected by flow cytometry. The changes of ATP in the HKC and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the supernatant of cultured HKC were detected after being co-cultured with KSC.

Results: The study of the co-culture showed that KSC was less capable to migrate through the micropores of Transwell compared with bone marrow stem cells. However, after being co-cultured with the KSC conditional supernatant, ATP content of injured HKC, total SOD value in the supernatant of injured HKC were increased, and the MDA and LDH in the supernatant of injured HKC decreased.

Conclusion: KSC have protected effects and participate in the repair of injured HKC.