title: New methodological approach to induce a differentiation phenotype in Caco-2 cells prior to post-confluence stage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Various differentiation-inducing agents or harvesting of spontaneously late post-confluence cultures have been used to differentiate the human colon carcinoma Caco-2 cell line. We report a new procedure to generate pre-confluent subcultures of Caco-2 population at various stages of differentiation without altering culture conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ultrastructural analysis, cell proliferation activity and biochemical markers of differentiation were evaluated at different passages.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subcultures of Caco-2 cells at pre-confluence, exhibiting progressive acquisition of a more benign differentiation phenotype, were generated. Early passages of Caco-2 cells showed a well-developed brush border and incomplete junctional apparatus; subsequent subcultures yielded cell populations with well-developed junctions similar to those of small intestinal cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These culture conditions represent a new versatile model not only to progressively induce the differentiation program in Caco-2 cells at pre-confluence without changes of culture media, but also to explore mechanistic modes of drug transport and tumor development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, L.I.TA., Segrate (MI), Italy.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferraretto
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gravaghi
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Donetti
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cosentino
authors.forename: Bianca M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Donida
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bedoni
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiorilli
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tettamanti
mesh_terms: D018938:Caco-2 Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002452:Cell Count; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype