A B S T R A C T Rabbit renomedullary interstitial cells were isolated and grown in tissue culture. These cells synthesize 0.8 ng ofprostaglandin E2 (PGE2) per microgram cellular protein per hour in monolayer tissue culture; prostaglandins A2 and F2x (PGA2 and PGF2c) biosynthesis was 10 and 5% of PGE2 biosynthesis, respectively. Arachidonic acid markedly stimulated the production of PGE2 and PGFax, with conversion rates of 0.24 and 0.02%o/h, respectively. Angiotensin II, hyperosmolality, bradykinin, and arginine vasopressin each stimulated PGE2 biosynthesis; maximum stimulation was 20, 3.7, 3.6, and 3.2 times basal production, respectively. PGE2 biosynthesis by the renomedullary interstitial cells was inhibited by isoproterenol, potassium, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (indomethacin, naproxen, ibuprofen, suprofen, meclofenamate, and acetylsalicylic acid), mepacrine (a phospholipase inhibitor), hydrocortisone, and cortisone.The rabbit renomedullary interstitial cell in tissue culture is a model system for the study of hormonal regulation of PGE2 biosynthesis. (6)(7)(8)(9). PGE has been shown to antagonize the effect of antidiuretic hormone in the toad urinary bladder (10, 11), whereas indomethacin, a potent prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor, potentiates antidiuretic hormone in in vitro and in vivo studies (12-14).The renal medullary interstitial cell is the major site of prostaglandin biosynthesis within the kidney (15). These highly specialized cells exist in high density in the renal medulla and papilla (16,17), and contain large amounts of arachidonic acid, the precursor of PGE2 biosynthesis (18).To study the production of prostaglandins by renal interstitial cells independent of the many interlocking systems which characterize renal function, we have grown rabbit renal interstitial cells in tissue culture. The rabbit renomedullary interstitial cell in tissue culture is a model system for the study of the molecular events associated with hormonal stimulation of PGE2 biosynthesis. The characterization of prostaglandin production by these cells and the effects of a number of vasoactive peptides, hormones, physiologic stimuli, and drugs on PGE2 biosynthesis comprise this investigation. Effect of cellular growth on PGA, PGE, and PGF biosynthesis by rabbit renal interstitial cells in tissue culture. Trypsin-dispersed cells from 75-cm2 flasks were pooled and replicate 25-cm2 flasks containing 5 ml of fresh tissue culture medium were inoculated. Tissue culture medium was changed at 24-h intervals. At each 24-h interval, two flasks were scraped to remove the cells from the plastic surface, and the cellular protein was determined by the method of Lowry et al. (23), with bovine serum albumin as the standard.
METHODSCharacterization of the factors affecting prostaglandin biosynthesis by renal interstitial cells in tissue culture. Before the study of the effects of vasoactive substances and prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors on prostaglandin biosynthesis, the effects of osmolality, time of incubation, sodium, ...