Renal Mesangial Cells (RMC)

Mesangial cells are specialized cells around blood vessels in the kidneys, at the mesangium. Primary function of mesangial cells is to remove trapped residues and aggregated protein from the basement membrane thus keeping the filter free of debris. The contractile properties of mesangial cells have been shown to be insignificant in changing the filtration pressure of the glomerulus.

Renal mesangial cells (RMC) are perivascular cells located within the central portion of the glomerular tuft between capillary loops. Mesangial cells have a variety of functions including synthesis and assembly of the mesangial matrix, endocytosis and processing of plasma macromolecules, and control of glomerular hemodynamics via mesangial cell contraction or release of vasoactive hormones. RMC is an ideal model for studying mesangial injury and glomerular functions under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions.