The aminoglycoside antibiotic gentamicin is able to alter metabolic activity and morphology of MDCK-C11 cells: a cell model of intercalated cells

• Autor(a) principal: Coutinho,A.G.G.
• Data de Publicação: 2018
• Outros Autores: Biscaia,S.M.P., Fernandez,R., Tararthuch,A.L.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2018001000610
• topic: Gentamicin; [Ca2+]i; MDCK-C11 cells; Cytotoxicity

It is well known that the aminoglycoside antibiotic gentamicin is capable of causing damage to kidney cells. Given the known involvement of Ca2+ in the nephrotoxic action of gentamicin, the purpose of this study was to establish a relationship between the concentration of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and cellular cytotoxicity using MDCK-C11 cells, a clone that has several properties that resemble those of intercalated cells of the distal nephron. Changes in [Ca2+]i was determined using fluorescence microscopy. Cell viability was evaluated by the neutral red method, and cell cytotoxicity by the MTT method. The [Ca2+]i gradually increased when cells were exposed to 0.1 mM gentamicin for 10, 20, and 30 min. The presence of extracellular Ca2+ was found to be necessary to stimulate the increase in [Ca2+]i induced by gentamicin, since this stimulus disappeared by using 1.8 mM EGTA (a Ca2+ chelator). Morphological changes were observed with scanning electron microscopy in epithelial cells exposed to the antibiotic. Furthermore, with the MTT method, a decrease in metabolic activity induced by gentamicin was observed, which indicates a cytotoxic effect. In conclusion, gentamicin was able to alter [Ca2+]i, change the morphology of MDCK-C11 cells, and promote cytotoxicity.