PneumaCult™-ALI-S Medium

Serum- and BPE-free medium for human small airway epithelial cells cultured at the air-liquid interface
概要
PneumaCult™-ALI-S Medium (Catalog #05050) is a serum- and BPE-free medium for the culture of human small airway epithelial cells at the air-liquid interface (ALI). Small airway epithelial cells cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI-S Medium undergo extensive mucociliary differentiation to form a cuboidal epithelium that exhibits morphological and functional characteristics similar to those of the human small airway in vivo.

Together, PneumaCult™-ALI-S Medium and PneumaCult™-Ex Plus Medium (#05040) constitute a fully integrated BPE-free culture system for in vitro human small airway modeling. This robust and defined system is a valuable tool for basic respiratory research, toxicity studies, and drug development.
Advantages
• Human small airway epithelial cells (HSAEC) cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI-S undergo extensive mucociliary differentiation to form a cuboidal epithelium that closely resembles the small airway epithelium
• PneumaCult™-ALI-S is serum-free and BPE-free to minimize variability
• PneumaCult™-ALI-S and PneumaCult™-Ex Plus constitute a complete, optimized system for expansion, maintenance, and differentiation of HSAEC
Components
  • PneumaCult™-ALI-S Basal Medium, 450 mL
  • PneumaCult™-ALI-S Supplement (10X), 50 mL
  • PneumaCult™-ALI-S Maintenance Supplement (100X), 5 x 1 mL
Subtype
Specialized Media
Cell Type
Airway Cells
Species
Human
Application
Cell Culture, Differentiation, Maintenance
Brand
PneumaCult
Area of Interest
Disease Modeling, Drug Discovery and Toxicity Testing, Epithelial Cell Biology, Respiratory Research
Formulation
Serum-Free
数据及文献

Data

PneumaCult™ Culture System Workflow for Small Airway Research

Figure 1. Overview of the PneumaCult™ Culture System for Small Airway Research

Expansion of human small airway epithelial cells (HSAEC) in submerged culture is performed with PneumaCult™-Ex Plus Medium. During the early Expansion Phase of the air-liquid interface (ALI) culture procedure, PneumaCult™-Ex Plus is applied to the apical and basal chambers. Upon reaching confluence, the culture is air-lifted by removing the culture medium from both chambers, and PneumaCult™-ALI-S is added to the basal chamber only. Differentiation into a mucociliary epithelium is obtained following 21+ days of incubation and can be maintained for more than one year.

Higher proliferation rate of HSAEC cultured in PneumaCult™-Ex Plus Medium compared with other.

Figure 2. HSAEC and HBEC Grow at a Higher Rate During Expansion When Cultured in PneumaCult™-Ex Plus Medium

Human small airway epithelial cells (HSAEC) and human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC) cultured in PneumaCult™-Ex Plus Medium exhibited higher proliferation rate at every passage compared with cells cultured in Small Airway Epithelial Cell Growth Medium. Cryopreserved HSAEC were obtained commercially at passage 2 (P2) while HBEC were obtained at P1.

HSAEC cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI-S differentiate to form a thin, cuboidal epithelium representative of the small airway.

Figure 3. HSAEC Cultured at the ALI Using PneumaCult™-ALI-S Medium Differentiate to Form a Morphology Representative of the Small Airway Epithelium

Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of HSAEC and HBEC cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI-S or PneumaCult™-ALI Medium at P3, after 28 days. HSAEC differentiated at the ALI in PneumaCult™-ALI-S formed a thin, cuboidal epithelial layer representative of the in vivo small airway epithelium while HBEC differentiated in PneumaCult™-ALI formed a pseudostratified epithelium resembling the in vivo bronchial epithelium. The ALI cultures were fixed, paraffin-embedded, sectioned, and stained with H&E. All images were taken using a 40X objective. Insert membrane was 10 μm in thickness. Scale bar = 20 μm.

Small airway epithelium markers, SCGB1A1, SCGB3A2, were detected in HSAEC cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI-S Medium.

Figure 4. Small Airway Epithelium Markers Were Detected in HSAEC Cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI-S Medium

Confocal images of whole mount immunostained ALI cultures showing HSAEC and HBEC cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI-S or PneumaCult™-ALI Medium at P3, after 28 days. The ALI cultures were fixed and stained with antibodies for ciliated cells (AC-tubulin; green), club cells (SCGB1A1; magenta), and secretory protein (SCGB3A2; red). The nuclei were counterstained with DAPI (blue). Small airway epithelium markers, SCGB1A1 and SCGB3A2, were detected at higher levels in HSAEC cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI-S compared with HSAEC cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI and HBEC cultured in either PneumaCult™-ALI-S or PneumaCult™-ALI. All images were taken using a 63X objective.

Relative expression of SCGB1A1 and SCGB3A2 was higher in HSAEC cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI-S compared to PneumaCult™-ALI.

Figure 5. Relative Expression of Small Airway Epithelium Markers by qPCR Were Detected at Higher Levels in HSAEC Cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI-S Medium Compared with HSAEC Cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI

HSAEC and HBEC cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI-S or PneumaCult™-ALI Medium at P3. After 28-days of differentiation, the ALI cultures were analysed for small airway epithelium markers, SCGB1A1 and SCGB3A2. Gene of Interest expression was normalized to housekeeping gene, TBP, and expressed as relative quantity (RQ). Relative expression of SCGB1A1 and SCGB3A2 was higher in HSAEC cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI-S Medium compared with HSAEC cultured in PneumaCult™-ALI and HBEC cultured in either PneumaCult™-ALI-S or PneumaCult™-ALI. Relative expression of SCGB3A2 was not detectable in HBEC cultured in either PneumaCult™-ALI or PneumaCult™-ALI-S.

Publications (1)

Scientific reports 2020 Development of a miniaturized 96-Transwell air-liquid interface human small airway epithelial model. T. Bluhmki et al.
Abstract
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Abstract

In order to overcome the challenges associated with a limited number of airway epithelial cells that can be obtained from clinical sampling and their restrained capacity to divide ex vivo, miniaturization of respiratory drug discovery assays is of pivotal importance. Thus, a 96-well microplate system was developed where primary human small airway epithelial (hSAE) cells were cultured at an air-liquid interface (ALI). After four weeks of ALI culture, a pseudostratified epithelium containing basal, club, goblet and ciliated cells was produced. The 96-well ALI cultures displayed a cellular composition, ciliary beating frequency, and intercellular tight junctions similar to 24-well conditions. A novel custom-made device for 96-parallelized transepithelial electric resistance (TEER) measurements, together with dextran permeability measurements, confirmed that the 96-well culture developed a tight barrier function during ALI differentiation. 96-well hSAE cultures were responsive to transforming growth factor $\beta$1 (TGF-$\beta$1) and tumor necrosis factor $\alpha$ (TNF-$\alpha$) in a concentration dependent manner. Thus, the miniaturized cellular model system enables the recapitulation of a physiologically responsive, differentiated small airway epithelium, and a robotic integration provides a medium throughput approach towards pharmaceutical drug discovery, for instance, in respect of fibrotic distal airway/lung diseases.
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