Far Infrared Radiation Promotes Renal Proximal Tubule Cell Proliferation Functional Characteristics and Has Protective Effects against Cisplatin Nephrotoxicity

Far infrared radiation (FIR), a subdivision of the electromagnetic spectrum, has been proved to be beneficial for long-term effects of tissue healing, anti-inflammation, promoting growth, modulating sleep, acceleration of microcirculation, and pain relief. We attempt to study whether FIR would be beneficial for renal proximal tubule cell (RPTC) cultivation and renal tissue engineering. We observed the FIR effects on RPTCs, including cell viability, functional characteristics, immunofluorescence presentations, and subcellular findings. And the FIR protective effects would be further examined with HK-2 cell (Human proximal tubule cell line) against cisplatin, a nephrotoxic agent. Our study showed that daily exposure to FIR for 30 minutes could significantly increase rabbit RPTC viability in vitro assessed by MTT assay. FIR is not only beneficial in RPTC cell viability. RPTCs with FIR exposure presented higher expression of Na-K ATPase and GLUT1 (Glucose Transporter 1). The finding was documented with western blot analysis with statistical significance. With Q-PCR, CDK5R1, GNAS, NPPB, and TEK expressions were significantly enhanced. With HK-2 cell, the proximal tubule cell line, FIR had protective effects against cisplatin nephrotoxicity through reducing apoptosis. FIR is a potential photomodulation therapy to facilitate RPTC cultivation with higher cell viability and better functional chanacteristics and would possibly be applied in further nephrotoxicity protection and other cisplatin-sensitive cell protection. Two samples are analyzed, one is human renal proximal tubule cell under FIR treatment, the other is human renal proximal tubule cell under normal condition. The control sample is human renal proximal tubule cell under normal condition.