Modeling of kidney collecting ducts function in the cell culture conditions

: Continuous cell lines originating from the kidney collecting duct represent a powerful tool for the modeling of water and ions reabsorbtion processes. Present review considers the basic methodical approaches being utilized to study vasopressin-induced water transport mechanisms in the cell culture conditions--microscopical methods, electrophysiological measurements, various ways of evaluation of water flow across the cell monolayer, transfections of native and mutant proteins, GFP-technology. The results of the highest significance for the understanding of collecting ducts function which were obtained with usage of these methods are analyzed in the review.