OXALATE-INDUCED INITIATION OF DNA-SYNTHESIS IN LLC-PK1 CELLS, A LINE OF RENAL EPITHELIAL-CELLS

These studies examined the effects of oxalate, a constituent of renal stones, on the growth of LLC-PK1 cells. Exposure to oxalate resulted in an initiation of DNA synthesis in serum-starved, growth-arrested cells as measured by H-3-thymidine incorporation. The effects of oxalate were comparable to those observed in response to 10% serum. Moreover, exposure to oxalate plus 10% serum stimulated DNA synthesis to a greater extent than oxalate or serum alone. These studies indicate that oxalate promotes the progression of cells from the G(0)/G(1) to the S phase of the cell cycle. However, the increase in DNA synthesis was not always followed by an increase in cell number since high concentrations of oxalate led to a reduction in cell number. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.