A three-dimensional cellular model of the human respiratory tract to study the interaction with particles
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Date
2004Author
Rothen-Rutishauser, Barbara M.
Kiama, S G
Gehr, Peter
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
A novel triple co-culture model of the human airway barrier was
designed to simulate the cellular part of the air–blood barrier of
the respiratory tract represented by macrophages, epithelial cells,
and dendritic cells. When epithelial cells (A549 cells) were grown
on filter inserts with pores of 3.0 m in diameter in a two-chamber
system, they formed monolayers with polarization into apical and
basolateral domains. The epithelial cell cultures were then supplemented
with human blood monocyte–derived macrophages and
dendritic cells on the apical and basal aspect, respectively. The
single-cell cultures as well as the triple co-cultures were characterized
in terms of a number of typical features, for example, morphology
of cell types, integrity of epithelial layer, and expression of
specific cell surface markers (CD14 for macrophages and CD86 for
dendritic cells). The interplay of epithelial cells with macrophages
and dendritic cells during the uptake of polystyrene particles (1 m
in diameter) was investigated with confocal laser scanning and
conventional transmission electron microscopy. Particles were
found in all three cell types, although dendritic cells were not directly
exposed to the particles. More investigations are needed to
understand the translocation pathway
Citation
American journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology Vol 32. pp 281–289, 2005Publisher
Institute of Anatomy, Division of Histology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya