Cadmium induces direct morphological changes in mesangial cell culture

• Published in: Toxicology (Amsterdam) 2002-10, Vol.179 (3), p.233-245
• Main Authors: L'Azou, Béatrice, Dubus, Isabelle, Ohayon-Courtès, Céline, Labouyrie, Jean-Pierre, Perez, Laurent, Pouvreau, Carole, Juvet, Ludivine, Cambar, Jean
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Actins - drug effects; Actins - metabolism; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cadmium; Cadmium - pharmacokinetics; Cadmium - toxicity; Cells, Cultured; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Cytoskeleton; Cytotoxicity; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Glomerular Mesangium - drug effects; Glomerular Mesangium - physiology; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Medical sciences; Mesangial cells; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Muscle Contraction - drug effects; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - drug effects; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - metabolism; Myosin Heavy Chains - drug effects; Myosin Heavy Chains - metabolism; Myosin Light Chains - drug effects; Myosin Light Chains - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Smooth muscle α-actin; Time Factors; Toxicology; Vimentin - drug effects; Vimentin - metabolism
• ISSN: 0300-483X; 1879-3185
• DOI: 10.1016/S0300-483X(02)00374-8

The cadmium produced by industrial and agricultural practice represents a major environmental pollutant which may induce severe damage, especially in the kidney where cadmium accumulates. While cadmium is known to severely impair renal tubular functions, glomerular structures are also potential targets. The present study investigated the effects of cadmium on glomerular mesangial cell cultures after short- and long-term exposures, requiring for each endpoint specific culture conditions. After 30 min exposure to 1 μM CdCl 2, used as non-lethal concentration, 0.14 ng/μg proteins of cadmium was internalized by the cells as evaluated by atomic emision spectrometry and induced a significant, cell surface reduction (8.9±1.9%). These morphological changes could be correlated to smooth muscle α-actin disorganization, without quantitative change in its protein expression level as evaluated by Western-blot and Northern-blot analysis (SMAmRNA/28sRNA, 1.78 CdCl 2 vs. 1.42 control). For longer exposure times, in complex medium, cadmium uptake was efficient (0.36 ng/μg proteins) and induced changes in the actin cytoskeleton with no loss of cell membrane integrity. This study suggests that cultured mesangial cells provide an alternative model to study the effect of cadmium, and underlines the importance of using well-defined conditions to study further intracellular mechanisms.