In vitro cell culture model for toxic inhaled chemical testing.
Cell cultures are indispensable to develop and study efficacy of therapeutic agents, prior to their use in animal models. We have the unique ability to model well differentiated human airway epithelium and heart muscle cells. This could be an invaluable tool to study the deleterious effects of toxic inhaled chemicals, such as chlorine, that can normally interact with the cell surfaces, and form various byproducts upon reacting with water, and limiting their effects in submerged cultures. Our model using well differentiated human airway epithelial cell cultures at air-liqiuid interface circumvents this limitation as well as provides an opportunity to evaluate critical mechanisms of toxicity of potential poisonous inhaled chemicals. We describe enhanced loss of membrane integrity, caspase release and death upon toxic inhaled chemical such as chlorine exposure. In this article, we propose methods to model chlorine exposure in mammalian heart and airway epithelial cells in culture and simple tests to evaluate its effect on these cell types.
Pediatric Airway Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado; SHAMA.AHMAD@ucdenver.edu.
Shama
S
Ahmad
Pediatric Airway Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado.
Aftab
A
Ahmad
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines.
Keith B
KB
Neeves
Pediatric Airway Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado.
Tara
T
Hendry-Hofer
Pediatric Airway Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado.
Joan E
JE
Loader
Pediatric Airway Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado.
Carl W
CW
White
Pediatric Airway Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado.
Livia
L
Veress
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002713:Chlorine / Q000633:toxicity; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods*
D002713:Chlorine