Glycine protection against hypoxic but not phospholipase A2-induced injury in rat proximal tubules.

We studied the effects of glycine (2 mM) on hypoxia-induced changes in phospholipids and fatty acids in isolated rat proximal tubules. In this preparation, 25 min of hypoxia caused cell injury, as reflected by the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (13.1 +/- 0.8 vs. 43.5 +/- 3.2%; P < 0.01). Hypoxia caused increases in fatty acids and in lysophospholipids. Glycine prevented the hypoxia-induced cell injury (LDH 13.1 +/- 0.8 vs. 11 +/- 0.7%; not significant) but did not attenuate the increases in fatty acids or lysophospholipids. In additional experiments, the effects of glycine on phospholipid changes and cell injury induced by exogenous phospholipase A2 (PLA2) were studied. PLA2 caused dramatic increases in fatty acids and lysophospholipids and mild cell injury; these effects were not influenced by glycine. In contrast, glycine attenuated increases in LDH release induced by exposing the tubules to exogenous arachidonic acid. In conclusion, glycine does not prevent the phospholipid degradation induced by either exogenous PLA2 or hypoxia in isolated proximal tubules and yet affords protection against hypoxia and exogenous arachidonic acid.