Preconditioning of primary human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells without tryptophan increases survival under hypoxia by inducing autophagy.

Preconditioning of primary human RPTECs in a medium without tryptophan increases their survival under hypoxia by inducing autophagy. Identifying new molecular mechanisms that protect renal tissue from hypoxia could be proved clinically important in the prevention of AKI.