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Macropinocytosis is the Major Mechanism for Endocytosis of Calcium Oxalate Crystals into Renal Tubular Cells

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Abstract

During an initial phase of kidney stone formation, the internalization of calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals by renal tubular cells has been thought to occur via endocytosis. However, the precise mechanism of CaOx crystal endocytosis remained unclear. In the present study, MDCK renal tubular cells were pretreated with inhibitors specific to individual endocytic pathways, including nystatin (lipid raft/caveolae-mediated), cytochalasin D (actin-dependent or macropinocytosis), and chlorpromazine (CPZ; clathrin-mediated) before exposure to plain (non-labeled), or fluorescence-labeled CaOx monohydrate (COM) crystals. Quantitative analysis by flow cytometry revealed that pretreatment with nystatin and CPZ slightly decreased the crystal internalization, whereas the cytochalasin D pretreatment caused a marked decrease in crystal uptake. Immunofluorescence study and laser-scanning confocal microscopic examination confirmed that the cytochalasin D-pretreated cells had dramatic decrease of the internalized crystals, whereas the total number of crystals interacted with the cells was unchanged (crystals could adhere but were not internalized). These data have demonstrated for the first time that renal tubular cells endocytose COM crystals mainly via macropinocytosis. These novel findings will be useful for further tracking the endocytosed crystals inside the cells during the course of kidney stone formation.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Office of the Higher Education Commission and Mahidol University under the National Research Universities Initiative, The Thailand Research Funds (RTA5380005, TRG5480005, and TRG5480008), and Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital. KS is supported by the Royal Golden Jubilee PhD Program, whereas VT is also supported by the “Chalermphrakiat” Grant, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital.

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  1. Medical Proteomics Unit, Office for Research and Development, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, and Center for Research in Complex Systems Science (CRCSS), Mahidol University, 6th Floor SiMR Building, 2 Prannok Road, Bangkoknoi, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand

    Rattiyaporn Kanlaya, Kitisak Sintiprungrat, Sakdithep Chaiyarit & Visith Thongboonkerd

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  1. Rattiyaporn Kanlaya
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  2. Kitisak Sintiprungrat
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Correspondence to Visith Thongboonkerd.

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Kanlaya, R., Sintiprungrat, K., Chaiyarit, S. et al. Macropinocytosis is the Major Mechanism for Endocytosis of Calcium Oxalate Crystals into Renal Tubular Cells. Cell Biochem Biophys 67, 1171–1179 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12013-013-9630-8

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