title: The potential of microfluidic lung epithelial wounding: towards in vivo-like alveolar microinjuries.
abstract: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains a major clinical challenge to date. Repeated alveolar epithelial microinjuries are considered as the starting point and the key event in both the development and the progression of IPF. Various pro-fibrotic agents have been identified and shown to cause alveolar damage. In IPF, however, no leading cause of alveolar epithelial microinjuries can be identified and the exact etiology remains elusive. New results from epidemiologic studies suggest a causal relation between IPF and frequent episodes of gastric refluxes resulting in gastric microaspirations into the lung. The effect of gastric contents on the alveolar epithelium has not been investigated in detail. Here, we present a microfluidic lung epithelial wounding system that allows for the selective exposure of alveolar epithelial cells to gastric contents. The system is revealed to be robust and highly reproducible. The thereby created epithelial microwounds are of tiny dimensions and best possibly reproduce alveolar damage in the lung. We further demonstrate that exposure to gastric contents, namely hydrochloric acid (HCl) and pepsin, directly damages the alveolar epithelium. Together, this novel in vitro wounding system allows for the creation of in vivo-like alveolar microinjuries with the potential to study lung injury and alveolar wound repair in vitro.
authors.affiliation: ARTORG Center Lung Regeneration Technologies Lab, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 50, 3010 Bern, Switzerland. olivier.guenat@artorg.unibe.ch.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Felder
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Stucki
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Stucki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Geiser
authors.forename: O T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Guenat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D017022:Flow Injection Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid; D054990:Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology*; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D006851:Hydrochloric Acid