Comparison of prostaglandin production of skin fibroblasts grown from patients with Bartter's syndrome and from age and sex matched controls.

Basal and bradykinin stimulated release of prostaglandins (6-oxo-PGF1 alpha, PGF2 alpha, PGE2) and of arachidonic acid (C20:4) from skin fibroblast cultures of two patients with Bartter's Syndrome were compared with age and sex matched controls. PG-formation from 14C-C20:4 was studied, and for PGE2 a radioimmunoassay was also employed. The data show that in basal release, Bartter's Syndrome fibroblasts produce significantly less PGE2 than controls. Stimulated release of 6-oxo-PGF1 alpha was higher, that of PGE2 lower and that of C2O:4 higher in Bartter's Syndrome than in controls, all differences being significant. Despite equal culturing conditions the estimated intracellular potassium was higher in the patients fibroblasts than in controls. In skin fibroblasts from patients with Bartter's Syndrome stimulated prostaglandin production from C2O:4 is mostly depressed, with the exeption of prostacyclin which is enhanced. The permeability of cell membranes for potassium might play a pathogenetic role.