Microfluidic kidney-on-chip

1. A method of culturing, comprising:

a) providing a microfluidic device comprising a membrane, said membrane comprising a first surface and a second surface, said first surface comprising proximal tubule cells and said second surface comprising glomerular microvascular endothelial cells;

b) exposing said proximal tubule cells and said glomerular microvascular endothelial cells to media under continuous low shear flow; and

c) culturing said proximal tubule cells such that said proximal tubule cells express aqua porin 1 (AQP1) with at least two-fold greater relative gene expression as compared to the same proximal tubule cells cultured in a static culture.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said proximal tubule cells are human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said membrane contains pores.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells are attached to the top of said membrane and said glomerular microvascular endothelial cells are attached to the opposite side of the same membrane.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first surface of said membrane is part of a first microfluidic channel and said second surface of said membrane is part of a second microfluidic channel.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells express tight junction protein ZO-1.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells express beta-catenin.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells express occludin.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells express Na/K-ATPase.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells comprise cilia.

11. The method of claim 2 , wherein said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells express one or more uptake and efflux transporters.

12. The method of claim 2 , wherein said continuous flow of media is 30 μl/hr.

13. The method of claim 2 , wherein said continuous flow of media is 150 μl/hr.

14. The method of claim 2 , wherein said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells express aquaporin 1 (AQP1) with at least four-fold greater relative gene expression as compared to the same human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells cultured in a static culture.

15. The method of claim 2 , wherein said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells express aquaporin 1 (AQP1) with at least ten-fold greater relative gene expression as compared to the same human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells cultured in a static culture.

16. A method of culturing, comprising:

a) providing a microfluidic device comprising a membrane, said membrane comprising a first surface and a second surface, said first surface comprising human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells and said second surface comprising glomerular microvascular endothelial cells;

b) culturing said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells and said glomerular microvascular endothelial cells to media under continuous low shear flow such that said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells express beta-catenin; and

c) detecting said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells expressing beta-catenin.

17. A method of culturing, comprising:

a) providing a microfluidic device comprising a membrane, said membrane comprising a first surface and a second surface, said first surface comprising human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells and said second surface comprising glomerular microvascular endothelial cells;

b) culturing said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells and said glomerular microvascular endothelial cells to media under continuous low shear flow such that said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells express occludin; and

c) detecting said human primary proximal tubular epithelial cells expressing occludin.