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Renal Research (renal + research)
Selected AbstractsMethods in Renal Research: A new section in Nephrology (Editorial)NEPHROLOGY, Issue 2 2007DAVID J NIKOLIC-PATERSON [source] Isolation, propagation and characterization of primary tubule cell culture from human kidney (Methods in Renal Research)NEPHROLOGY, Issue 2 2007WEIER QI SUMMARY: Proximal tubule cells (PTC) are the major cell type in the cortical tubulointerstitium. Because PTC play a central role in tubulointerstitial pathophysiology, it is essential to prepare pure PTC from kidney tissue to explore the mechanisms of tubulointerstitial pathology. The authors have successfully refined and characterized primary cultures of human PTC using Percoll density gradient centrifugation as a key PTC enrichment step. The cells obtained by this method retain morphological and functional properties of PTC and are minimally contaminated by other renal cells. In particular, the primary isolates have characteristics of epithelial cells with uniform polarized morphology, tight junction and well-formed apical microvilli. Cytokeratin is uniformly and strongly expressed in the isolates. Brush border enzyme activities and PTC transport properties are retained in the isolates. This method therefore provides an excellent in vitro model for the physiologic study of the human proximal tubule. [source] Review article: Patient-level outcomes: the missing linkNEPHROLOGY, Issue 4 2009DENISE V O'SHAUGHNESSY SUMMARY Treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) may be life-saving, but can disrupt every aspect of a patient's life and the lives of family members. Many patients with CKD are elderly with significant comorbidities and sometimes therapies to improve survival may be less important than those that improve or maintain quality of life. In this setting, patient-level benefits become particularly important goals of therapy. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) are also essential to justify expensive therapies, such as medications used in the treatment of CKD mineral and bone disorders. Surprisingly, data to support the efficacy of these drugs for patient-level outcomes remains limited. In fact, fewer RCT are conducted in renal medicine than in any other medical specialty and reliance is often placed on association data and the assessment of intermediate and biochemical end-points. While some of these may prove to be valid surrogates for clinically important outcomes, some may not. Inclusion of patient-level outcomes in clinical research provides a missing link that can inform a more comprehensive approach to clinical practice and patient care. Incorporating measures of health-related quality of life into clinical trials can make outcomes more relevant and may be relatively simple. This paper provides examples of reliable, validated instruments to measure health-related quality of life domains and functional status, together with practical instructions for their use. Most could be incorporated into RCT of CKD mineral and bone disorder treatments. Inclusion of outcomes that are perceived by patients to be significant should become standard practice in renal medicine and in clinical renal research. [source] Perspectives of chronic renal failureNEPHROLOGY, Issue 2002Kiyoshi Kurokawa SUMMARY: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a major source of morbidity and the increasing number of chronic dialysis patients is a significant health-care issue in many developed as well as developing countries. In the present brief review the current status of chronic dialysis is discussed; and Japan and the USA, two major countries in which chronic dialysis programmes are well developed, are compared. Also discussed is the economic impact, the status of renal transplantation and its future possibilities, recent efforts to halt progression of chronic renal disease, in particular, diabetic nephropathy (which has become the major cause of ESRD in many developed countries), and future perspectives in renal research. It is hoped that, in the future, perhaps by the mid-21st century, chronic dialysis may become the exception in therapy through our efforts. [source] Cardiovascular and renal phenotyping of genetically modified mice: A challenge for traditional physiologyCLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2003Sharyn M Fitzgerald Summary 1.,The advent of techniques to genetically modify experimental animals and produce directed mutations in both a conditional and tissue-specific manner has dramatically opened up new fields for physiologists in cardiovascular and renal research. 2.,A consequence of altering the genetic background of mice is the difficulty in predicting the phenotypic outcome of the genetic mutation. We therefore suggest that physiologists may need to change their current experimental paradigms to face this new era. Hence, our aim is to propose a complementary research philosophy for physiologists working in the post-genomic era. That is, instead of using strictly hypothesis-driven research philosophies, one will have to perform screening studies of mutant mice, within a field of interest, to find valuable phenotypes. Once a relevant phenotype is found, in-depth studies of the underlying mechanisms should be performed. These follow-up studies should be performed using a traditional hypothesis-driven research philosophy. 3.,The rapidly increasing availability of mutated mouse models of human disease also necessitates the development of techniques to characterize these various mouse phenotypes. In particular, the miniaturization and refinement of techniques currently used to study the renal and cardiovascular system in larger animals will be discussed in the present review. Hence, we aim to outline what techniques are currently available and should be present in a laboratory to screen and study renal and cardiovascular phenotypes in genetically modified mice, with particular emphasis on methodologies used in the intact, conscious animal. [source] | ||||||||||