Zara Sheikh1, Antonella Granata1, Dina Silva1, Paul Young1,3, Hui Xin Ong1,2, Daniela Traini1,2
1Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, 431 Glebe Point Road, Glebe NSW 2037, Australia
2Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia 3Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
Summary
An in vitro air-liquid interface model (ALI) of human respiratory epithelial cell lines is an invaluable tool that phenotypically mimics the in vivo airway epithelium and is extensively used to study drug transport and predict therapeutic efficacy. Although several studies have utilized the human pharyngeal cell line Detroit 562 under ALI conditions, no studies have yet been performed to optimise the ALI culture conditions and determine whether the ALI model could be used to study drug transport. Therefore, this study aims to determine the appropriate in vitro ALI culture method required to establish the epithelial barrier properties of the Detroit 562 cell line and investigate drug transport of a local anaesthetic throat spray, Lidocaine. In summary, the present study indicated the suitability of the Detroit 562 cell line at a seeding density of 1.8 × 105 cells/cm2 as a representative in vitro ALI cellular model to study drug transport on day 18 of the ALI culture period. Further investigations are required to characterize this cellular model by immunostaining with markers of tight junction proteins and determine differentiating features such as mucus production and response to an inflammatory stimulus.
Key Message
An in vitro air-liquid interface (ALI) model of the pharyngeal cell line Detroit 562 attains epithelial barrier integrity after 18 days in ALI culture, at an optimum seeding density of 1.8 × 105 cells/cm2. This model could be used to study drug transport mechanisms and predict the therapeutic efficacy of oropharyngeal deposition of drugs and toxins.