Tissue culture of established renal cell lines.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes various techniques and procedures for the routine culture and generation of epithelial layers used in for Madin-Darby Canine Kidney Cells (MDCK) . The existence of several established epithelial cell lines derived from whole kidneys, which retain significant histotypic features, has ensured their popularity as general rather than specific models for studies of epithelial polarity, ion transport, and hormonal regulation. This chapter discusses the detection of mycoplasma contamination. For the purpose of the present chapter it is worth stressing the importance of the correct geometry needed with respect to the measuring and current-passing Ringer bridges, when applied to the potential difference measurement of the electrical resistance of "leaky" epithelial layers, and of the necessity of making an appropriate correction for the series resistance afforded by the solution resistor present between the potential-sensing electrodes.