title: A microfluidic cell culture device (μFCCD) to culture epithelial cells with physiological and morphological properties that mimic those of the human intestine.
abstract: Physiological and morphological properties of the human intestine cannot be accurately mimicked in conventional culture devices such as well plates and petri dishes where intestinal epithelial cells form a monolayer with loose contacts among cells. Here, we report a novel microfluidic cell culture device (μFCCD) that can be used to culture cells as a human intestinal model. This device enables intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2) to grow three-dimensionally on a porous membrane coated with fibronectin between two polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layers. Within 3 days, Caco-2 cells cultured in the μFCCD formed villi- and crypt-like structures with small intercellular spaces, while individual cells were tightly connected to one another through the expression of the tight junction protein occludin, and were covered with a secreted mucin, MUC-2. Caco-2 cells cultured in the μFCCD for 3 days were less susceptible to bacterial attack than those cultured in transwell plates for 21 days. μFCCD-cultured Caco-2 cells also displayed physiologically relevant absorption and paracellular transport properties. These results suggest that our intestinal model more accurately mimics the morphological and physiological properties of the intestine in vivo than the conventional transwell culture model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Nano Sciences (BK21 plus), EwhaWomans University, Seoul, 120-750, Korea.
authors.forename: Meiying
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Banya
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Seunghan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Dong-June
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jong Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Sungsu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D061249:Batch Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D048429:Cell Size; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds