scholarly journals Microfluidic approaches for epithelial cell layer culture and characterisation

The Analyst ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 139 (13) ◽  
pp. 3206-3218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Thuenauer ◽  
Enrique Rodriguez-Boulan ◽  
Winfried Römer

Novelin vitromodels of epithelia in which thein vivomicroenvironment of epithelial cells is precisely reconstituted can be realised with microfluidic biochips.

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 2677-2688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul G. Tiffen ◽  
Nader Omidvar ◽  
Nuria Marquez-Almuina ◽  
Dawn Croston ◽  
Christine J. Watson ◽  
...  

Abstract Recent studies in breast cancer cell lines have shown that oncostatin M (OSM) not only inhibits proliferation but also promotes cell detachment and enhances cell motility. In this study, we have looked at the role of OSM signaling in nontransformed mouse mammary epithelial cells in vitro using the KIM-2 mammary epithelial cell line and in vivo using OSM receptor (OSMR)-deficient mice. OSM and its receptor were up-regulated approximately 2 d after the onset of postlactational mammary regression, in response to leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-induced signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3). This resulted in sustained STAT3 activity, increased epithelial apoptosis, and enhanced clearance of epithelial structures during the remodeling phase of mammary involution. Concurrently, OSM signaling precipitated the dephosphorylation of STAT5 and repressed expression of the milk protein genes β-casein and whey acidic protein (WAP). Similarly, during pregnancy, OSM signaling suppressed β-casein and WAP gene expression. In vitro, OSM but not LIF persistently down-regulated phosphorylated (p)-STAT5, even in the continued presence of prolactin. OSM also promoted the expression of metalloproteinases MMP3, MMP12, and MMP14, which, in vitro, were responsible for OSM-specific apoptosis. Thus, the sequential activation of IL-6-related cytokines during mammary involution culminates in an OSM-dependent repression of epithelial-specific gene expression and the potentiation of epithelial cell extinction mediated, at least in part, by the reciprocal regulation of p-STAT5 and p-STAT3.


2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ang Su ◽  
Jie Tong ◽  
Yuguang Fu ◽  
Sandy Müller ◽  
Yenehiwot Berhanu Weldearegay ◽  
...  

AbstractPasteurella (P.) multocida is a zoonotic pathogen, which is able to cause respiratory disorder in different hosts. In cattle, P. multocida is an important microorganism involved in the bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) with a huge economic impact. We applied air–liquid interface (ALI) cultures of well-differentiated bovine airway epithelial cells to analyze the interaction of P. multocida with its host target cells. The bacterial pathogen grew readily on the ALI cultures. Infection resulted in a substantial loss of ciliated cells. Nevertheless, the epithelial cell layer maintained its barrier function as indicated by the transepithelial electrical resistance and the inability of dextran to get from the apical to the basolateral compartment via the paracellular route. Analysis by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy confirmed the intactness of the epithelial cell layer though it was not as thick as the uninfected control cells. Finally, we chose the bacterial neuraminidase to show that our infection model is a sustainable tool to analyze virulence factors of P. multocida. Furthermore, we provide an explanation, why this microorganism usually is a commensal and becomes pathogenic only in combination with other factors such as co-infecting microorganisms.


2019 ◽  
Vol 244 (7) ◽  
pp. 554-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Klisuric ◽  
Benjamin Thierry ◽  
Ludivine Delon ◽  
Clive A Prestidge ◽  
Rachel J Gibson

M cells are an epithelial cell population found in the follicle-associated epithelium overlying gut-associated lymphoid tissues. They are specialized in the transcytosis of luminal antigens. Their transcytotic capacity and location in an immunocompetent environment has prompted the study of these cells as possible targets for oral drug delivery systems. Currently, the models most commonly used to study M cells are restricted to in vivo experiments conducted in mice, and in vitro studies conducted in models comprised either of primary epithelial cells or established cell lines of murine or human origin. In vitro models of the follicle-associated epithelium can be constructed in several ways. Small intestinal Lgr5+ stem cells can be cultured into a 3D organoid structure where M cells are induced with RANKL administration. Additionally, in vitro models containing an “M cell-like” population can be obtained through co-culturing intestinal epithelial cells with cells of lymphocytic origin to induce the M cell phenotype. The evaluation of the efficiency of the variations of these models and their relevance to the in vivo human system is hampered by the lack of a universal M cell marker. This issue has also hindered the advancement of M cell-specific targeting approaches aimed at improving the bioavailability of orally administered compounds. This critical review discusses the different approaches utilized in the literature to identify M cells, their efficiency, reliability and relevance, in the context of commonly used models of the follicle-associated epithelium. The outcome of this review is a clearly defined and universally recognized criteria for the assessment of the relevance of models of the follicle-associated models currently used. Impact statement The study of M cells, a specialized epithelial cell type found in the follicle-associated epithelium, is hampered by the lack of a universal M cell marker. As such, many studies lack reliable and universally recognized methods to identify M cells in their proposed models. As a result of this it is difficult to ascertain whether the effects observed are due to the presence of M cells or an unaccounted variable. The outcome of this review is the thorough evaluation of the many M cell markers that have been used in the literature thus far and a proposed criterion for the identification of M cells for future publications. This will hopefully lead to an improvement in the quality of future publications in this field.


2012 ◽  
Vol 303 (3) ◽  
pp. G356-G366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven H. Young ◽  
Nora Rozengurt ◽  
James Sinnett-Smith ◽  
Enrique Rozengurt

We have examined the role of protein kinase D1 (PKD1) signaling in intestinal epithelial cell migration. Wounding monolayer cultures of intestinal epithelial cell line IEC-18 or IEC-6 induced rapid PKD1 activation in the cells immediately adjacent to the wound edge, as judged by immunofluorescence microscopy with an antibody that detects the phosphorylated state of PKD1 at Ser916, an autophosphorylation site. An increase in PKD1 phosphorylation at Ser916 was evident as early as 45 s after wounding, reached a maximum after 3 min, and persisted for ≥15 min. PKD1 autophosphorylation at Ser916 was prevented by the PKD family inhibitors kb NB 142-70 and CRT0066101. A kb NB 142-70-sensitive increase in PKD autophosphorylation was also elicited by wounding IEC-6 cells. Using in vitro kinase assays after PKD1 immunoprecipitation, we corroborated that wounding IEC-18 cells induced rapid PKD1 catalytic activation. Further results indicate that PKD1 signaling is required to promote migration of intestinal epithelial cells into the denuded area of the wound. Specifically, treatment with kb NB 142-70 or small interfering RNAs targeting PKD1 markedly reduced wound-induced migration in IEC-18 cells. To test whether PKD1 promotes migration of intestinal epithelial cells in vivo, we used transgenic mice that express elevated PKD1 protein in the small intestinal epithelium. Enterocyte migration was markedly increased in the PKD1 transgenic mice. These results demonstrate that PKD1 activation is one of the early events initiated by wounding a monolayer of intestinal epithelial cells and indicate that PKD1 signaling promotes the migration of these cells in vitro and in vivo.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ke-Jia Cheng ◽  
Qiong Xu ◽  
Zhi-Mei Li ◽  
Shui-Hong Zhou ◽  
Yang-Yang Bao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Although laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) has been implicated in various upper aerodigestive tract and laryngeal diseases, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, we investigated the role of gastric acidified pepsin in laryngeal precancerosis. Results: Acidified pepsin (pH=3) enhanced the growth and survival of mouse laryngeal epithelial cells in vitro and promoted laryngeal mucosal thickening and laryngeal epithelial cell growth in vivo. Furthermore, acidified pepsin promoted autophagy/mitophagy induction, accompanied by a significant decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine abolished the ability of acidified pepsin to promote mitophagy and cell growth in laryngeal epithelial cells. Additionally, chloroquine promoted cell apoptosis and further reduced MMP in laryngeal epithelial cells treated with acidified pepsin. The expression levels of pepsin and H+/K+-ATPase α and β subunits in 31 human laryngeal mucosa specimens were 51.6%, 48.4%, and 48.4%, respectively. Importantly, the pepsin level was correlated with the H+/K+-ATPase β subunit level. H+/K+-ATPase upregulation in laryngeal epithelial cells in response to acidified pepsin was essential for the mitophagy-promoting effect of acidified pepsin. H+/K+-ATPase knockout or inhibition further reduced MMP in the presence of acidified pepsin. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that in an acidic environment, pepsin promotes laryngeal epithelial cell growth and survival by upregulating H+/K+-ATPase and activating mitophagy, potentially leading to laryngeal precancerosis.


2002 ◽  
Vol 283 (6) ◽  
pp. L1315-L1321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingjian You ◽  
Edward J. Richer ◽  
Tao Huang ◽  
Steven L. Brody

Highly regulated programs for airway epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation during development and repair are often disrupted in disease. These processes have been studied in mouse models; however, it is difficult to isolate and identify epithelial cell-specific responses in vivo. To investigate these processes in vitro, we characterized a model for primary culture of mouse tracheal epithelial cells. Small numbers of cells seeded at low density (7.5 × 104 cells/cm2) rapidly proliferated and became polarized. Subsequently, supplemented media and air-liquid interface conditions resulted in development of highly differentiated epithelia composed of ciliated and nonciliated cells with gene expression characteristic of native airways. Genetically altered or injured mouse tracheal epithelial cells also reflected in vivo patterns of airway epithelial cell gene expression. Passage of cells resulted in continued proliferation but limited differentiation after the first passage, suggesting that transit-amplifying cell populations were present but with independent programs for proliferation and differentiation. This approach provides a high-fidelity in vitro model for evaluation of gene regulation and expression in mouse airway epithelial cells.


2022 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Cacho-Navas ◽  
Natalia Reglero-Real ◽  
Natalia Colás-Algora ◽  
Susana Barroso ◽  
Gema de Rivas ◽  
...  

AbstractApical localization of Intercellular Adhesion Receptor (ICAM)-1 regulates the adhesion and guidance of leukocytes across polarized epithelial barriers. Here, we investigate the molecular mechanisms that determine ICAM-1 localization into apical membrane domains of polarized hepatic epithelial cells, and their effect on lymphocyte-hepatic epithelial cell interaction. We had previously shown that segregation of ICAM-1 into apical membrane domains, which form bile canaliculi and bile ducts in hepatic epithelial cells, requires basolateral-to-apical transcytosis. Searching for protein machinery potentially involved in ICAM-1 polarization we found that the SNARE-associated protein plasmolipin (PLLP) is expressed in the subapical compartment of hepatic epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo. BioID analysis of ICAM-1 revealed proximal interaction between this adhesion receptor and PLLP. ICAM-1 colocalized and interacted with PLLP during the transcytosis of the receptor. PLLP gene editing and silencing increased the basolateral localization and reduced the apical confinement of ICAM-1 without affecting apicobasal polarity of hepatic epithelial cells, indicating that ICAM-1 transcytosis is specifically impaired in the absence of PLLP. Importantly, PLLP depletion was sufficient to increase T-cell adhesion to hepatic epithelial cells. Such an increase depended on the epithelial cell polarity and ICAM-1 expression, showing that the epithelial transcytotic machinery regulates the adhesion of lymphocytes to polarized epithelial cells. Our findings strongly suggest that the polarized intracellular transport of adhesion receptors constitutes a new regulatory layer of the epithelial inflammatory response.


2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
E. Gold ◽  
N. Jetly ◽  
S. Behuria ◽  
T. Woodruff ◽  
S. Hedwards ◽  
...  

Activin A is a well characterised inhibitor of proliferation in most epithelial cells. The actions of activin A on cell growth are mediated through Smad-dependent pathways. Activin A is potent at low levels, therefore its synthesis and bioactivity must be tightly regulated. Follistatin binding or inhibin subunit heterodimerisation block access to the activin receptor and/or receptor activation. We postulate that another mechanism of regulating activin A bioactivity is through the activin-βC subunit. In order to test our hypothesis produced recombinant activin C and mice overexpressing activin-βC. Recombinant activin C abrogated activin A-induced growth inhibition in vitro and the mechanism of action was downregulation of activin A-induced Smad signalling molecules. In the prostate overexpression of activin-βC increased epithelial cell proliferation while there was no significant difference in apoptotic epithelial cells. This imbalance between proliferation and apoptosis led to a significant increase in ventral prostate weight, prostatic hypertrophy and epithelial cell hyperplasia. A significant decrease in nuclear localisation of Smad-2 was associated with activin-βC overexpression in the prostate which implies antagonism of activin signalling also occurs in vivo. This is the first study to provide evidence that activin-βC is an antagonist of activin A in vitro and in vivo and implicates a role for the activin-βC subunit in maintenance of tissue homeostasis in the prostate.


1984 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Andersson ◽  
A Fogh ◽  
F. JØRgensen ◽  
S Larsson ◽  
H Leffler ◽  
...  

To colonize mucosal surfaces and to invade underlying tissues, bacteria need to bind to components of the mucosa. Unattached bacteria are transported away from the surface with the fluid flow. By binding to the nasopharyngeal mucosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae causing otitis media may persist at the site of infection. High binding capacity of the bacterium and increased receptivity of the epithelial cells for attaching bacteria may both contribute to the susceptibility of patients prone to otitis. Thus, epithelial cells from children with frequent episodes of otitis bind attaching bacteria more readily than do cells from age-matched controls. The binding mechanism probably involves bacterial surface proteins and epithelial cell surface glycoconjugate receptors. Evidence is presented that phosphorylcholine, a component of the bacterial surface, as well as epithelial cell receptor analogues, that is, natural or synthetic saccharides analogous to the lactoneoseries of glycolipids, inhibits pneumococcal attachment. Inhibition of bacterial binding in vivo may be a new approach to prophylaxis against otitis media.


2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser ◽  
Martin J.D. Clift ◽  
Corinne Jud ◽  
Alke Fink ◽  
Peter Wick

AbstratThe human body can be exposed to nanomaterials through a variety of different routes. As nanomaterials get in contact with the skin, the gastrointestinal tract, and the respiratory tract, these biological compartments are acting as barriers to the passage of nano-sized materials into the organism. These structural and functional barriers are provided by the epithelia serving as an interface between biological compartments. In order to initiate the reduction, refinement and replacement of time consuming, expensive and stressful (to the animals) in vivo experimental approaches, many in vitro epithelial cell culture models have been developed during the last decades. This review therefore, focuses on the functional as well as structural aspects of epithelial cells as well as the most commonly used in vitro epithelial models of the primary biological barriers with which nanomaterials might come in contact with either occupationally, or during their manufacturing and application. The advantages and disadvantages of the different in vitro models are discussed in order to provide a clear overview as to whether or not epithelial cell cultures are an advantageous model to be used for basic mechanism and nanotoxicology research.


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