Transporting renal epithelium: culture in hormonally defined serum-free medium.

A hormonally defined medium was used to isolate a homogeneous epithelioid cell population from canine kidney. Monolayers of these cells form domes, an indication of active ion transport, and this process is inhibited by ouabain. This technique allows the isolation of primary cultures of renal epithelial cells, free of fibroblasts, for the characterization of biochemical and physiological properties related to renal function.