• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.183-189
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• 2008

The present study compared the feasibility of Caco-2 and MDCK cells as an efficient in-vitro model for the drug classification based on Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) as well as an in-vitro model for drug interactions mediated by P-gp inhibition or P-gp induction. Thirteen model drugs were selected to cover BCS Class I{\sim}IV$ and their membrane permeability values were evaluated in both Caco-2 and MDCK cells. P-gp inhibition studies were conducted by using vinblastine and verapamil in MDCK cells. P-gp induction studies were also performed in MDCK cells using rifampin and the P-gp expression level was determined by western blot analysis. Compared to Caco-2 cells, MDCK cells required shorter period of time to culture cells before running the transport study. Both Caco-2 and MDCK cells exhibited the same rank order relationship between in-vitro permeability values and human permeability values of all tested model compounds, implying that those in-vitro models may be useful in the prediction of human permeability (rank order) of new chemical entities at the early drug discovery stage. However, in the case of BCS drug classification, Caco-2 cells appeared to be more suitable than MDCK cells. P-gp induction by rifampin was negligible in MDCK-cells while MDCK cells appeared to be feasible for P-gp inhibition studies. Taken all together, the present study suggests that Caco-2 cells might be more applicable to the BCS drug classification than MDCK-cells, although MDCK cells may provide some advantage in terms of capacity and speed in early ADME screening process.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.459-469
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• 2014

Entamoeba histolytica is a tissue-invasive protozoan parasite causing dysentery in humans. During infection of colonic tissues, amoebic trophozoites are able to kill host cells via apoptosis or necrosis, both of which trigger IL-8-mediated acute inflammatory responses. However, the signaling pathways involved in host cell death induced by E. histolytica have not yet been fully defined. In this study, we examined whether calpain plays a role in the cleavage of pro-survival transcription factors during cell death of colonic epithelial cells, induced by live E. histolytica trophozoites. Incubation with amoebic trophozoites induced activation of m-calpain in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, incubation with amoebae resulted in marked degradation of STAT proteins (STAT3 and STAT5) and NF-${\kappa}B$ (p65) in Caco-2 cells. However, $I{\kappa}B$, an inhibitor of NF-${\kappa}B$, was not cleaved in Caco-2 cells following adherence of E. histolytica. Entamoeba-induced cleavage of STAT proteins and NF-${\kappa}B$ was partially inhibited by pretreatment of cells with a cell-permeable calpain inhibitor, calpeptin. In contrast, E. histolytica did not induce cleavage of caspase-3 in Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, pretreatment of Caco-2 cells with a calpain inhibitor, calpeptin (but not the pan-caspase inhibitor, z-VAD-fmk) or m-calpain siRNA partially reduced Entamoeba-induced DNA fragmentation in Caco-2 cells. These results suggest that calpain plays an important role in E. histolytica-induced degradation of NF-${\kappa}B$ and STATs in colonic epithelial cells, which ultimately accelerates cell death.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.266-272
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• 1999

The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system consisting of IGF-I, IGF-II, IGF-receptors, and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP) regulates the proliferation of a variety of cancer cell types. To examine whether a decrease in endogenous IGFBP-3 stimulates proliferation or inhibits differentiation, Caco-2 cells, a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, were stably transfected with an anti-sense IGFBP-3 expression construct or pcDNA3 vector as control. Accumulation of IGFBP-3 mRNA and secretion of IGFBP-3 into serum-free conditioned medium, 9 days after plating, were significantly lower in Caco-2 cell clones transfected with anti-sense IGFBP-3 cDNA compared to the controls. The anti-sense clones grew at a similar rate to the controls for 8 days after plating, but achieved a higher final density between days 10 and 12. The levels of sucrase-isomaltase mRNA, a marker of enterocyte differentiation of Caco-2 cells, were lower in the anti-sense clones examined on day 9. In conclusion, proliferation of Caco-2 cells can be stimulated by lowering endogenously-produced IGFBP-3.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.497-502
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• 2006

The adhesion of 16 bifidobacterial strains, including 10 isolates from Korea infants, to Caco-2 cells and their cell surface hydrophobicity were tested. The results of adhesion and cell surface hydrophobicity of for various bifidobacterial strains were obtained and correlations between adhesion and hydrophobicity were strain-dependent properties. Any correlations between species of tested strains were not observed. Among the tested strains, Bifidobacterim longum D6, B. longum H4, B. thermophilum ATCC 25525, B. suis ATCC 27533, and B. animalis subsp. lactis BB12 had higher adherent properties and B. bifidum B3, B. longum D6, B. longum stronger hydrophobicity, respectively. Due to the strain-dependant correlation between adhesion to Caco-2 cells and cell surface hydrophobicity of bifidobacteria, these results provide a possible method for preliminary selection of bifidobacteria potentially adherent to Caco-2 cells by means of cell surface hydrophobic properties.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.70-75
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• 2003

The objective of the present study was to investigate the uptake process of 4-Phenylazobenzoxycarbonyl-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-D-Arg (Pz-peptide), a hydrophilic and collagenase-labile pentapeptide, by isolated hepatocytes. For comparison, the uptake of Pz-peptide by Caco-2 cells and colonic cells, two known paracellular routes of Pz-peptide, was also evaluated. A simple and sensitive reversed-phase HPLC assay method using UV detection has been developed. The coefficient of variation for all the criteria of validation were less than 15%. The method was, therefore, considered to be sutable for measuring the concentration of Pz-peptide in the biological cells. Pz-peptide was extensively uptaked into hepatocytes. The initial velocity of Pz-peptide uptake assessed from the initial slope of the curve was plotted as Eadie-Hofstee plots. The maximum velocity ($V_{max}$) and the Michaelis constant ($K_m$) were 0.190$\pm$0.020 $nmol/min/10^6$ cells and 12.1$\pm$3.23 $\mu$M, respectively. The permeability-surface area product ($PS{influx}$) was calculated to be 0.0157 ml/min/10^6$ cells. $V_{max}$ and $K_m$ values for Caco-2 cells were calculated to be 6.22$\pm$0.930 pmol/min/10^6$ cells and 82.8$\pm$8.37 $\mu$M, respectively, being comparable with those of colonocytes (6.04$\pm$1.03 pmol/min/10^6$ cells and 87.8$\pm$13.2 $\mu$M, respectively). $PS_{influx}$ values for Caco-2 cells and colonocytes were calculated to be 0.0751 $\mu$l/min/10^6$ cells and 0.0688 $\mu$l/min/10^6$ cells, respectively. The more pronounced uptake of Pz-peptide by hepatocytes, when compared with Caco-2 cells and colonocytes, is probably due to its specific transporter. In conclusion, Pz-peptide, a paracellularly transported pentapeptide in the intestine and ocular epithelia, was uptaked into hepatocytes extensively. Although Pz-peptide is able to be uptaked into the Caco-2 cells and colonocytes, it is less pronounced when compared with hepatocytes. $PS_{influx}$ values of Caco-2 cells and colonocytes for unbound Pz-peptide under linear conditions were less than 0.4% when compared with that of hepatocytes.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.212-217
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• 2017

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Many studies show that most cases of human colorectal cancer arise from adenomatous polyps, which are usually dysplastic, nonmalignant precursor lesions; however, accumulation of multiple somatic mutations leads some to develop into advanced adenoma, which ultimately progresses to an invasive colorectal cancer. Notwithstanding the efforts made to improve chemotherapy, most colorectal cancers are unresponsive to this form of treatment, and malignant colorectal cancers remain incurable. To reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer mortality, further studies to improve colorectal cancer treatment are needed. Here, we show that Globefish homogenate suppresses the growth of Caco-2 human colorectal cancer cells, and that the homogenate inhibits Caco-2 cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. These data suggest that Globefish homogenate may suppress colorectal cancer development.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.581-585
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• 2005

Five lactic acid bacteria (LAB) including 2 Lactobacillus strains isolated from Kimchi were evaluated to determine the binding ability to Caco-2 cells and $AFB_1$. LAB were divided into three different groups ; viable, heat-treated, and acid-treated cells. In the radioactive-labeling assay for bound cell counting, viable Lactobacillus Plantarum KCTC 3099 showed the higher adhesion to Caco-2 cells with the binding capacity of $39.2\%$, which was $149\%$ higher than Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG as a positive control. Leuconostoc mesenteroids KCTC 3100 showed the similar binding ability to L. rhamnosus GG. After 1 hour incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ with $AFB_1$, viable L. Planterum KTCC 3099 removed the toxin by $49.8\%$, which was similar level to L. rhamnosus GG. Both heat- and acid-treated groups showed high binding effect but acid-treated group was more effective for both Caco-2 cell binding and $AFB_1$ removal than the other. These results indicate that components of bacterial cell wall might be involved in tile binding to intestinal cells and toxins.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.34-38
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to develop a cocktail approach for the measurement of the permeability of marker compounds, caffeine and propranolol (high permeability), ofloxacin (intermediate), atenolol (low), and quinidine (P-glycoprotein substrate), simultaneously. Then we compared the permeability in Caco-2 cells with that in rat intestinal segments. The difference between individual measurement and cocktail approach was less than 20 %, and the permeabilities of these compounds were similar to those previously reported, suggesting that the cocktail transport study and simultaneous drug analysis were successfully developed and validated in this study. Additionally, in the application of this cocktail method, the permeability of five drugs in rat jejunum was similar to that in ileum but different from that in colon, which was measured using the Ussing chamber system. Moreover, permeability in jejunum and ileum was similar to that in Caco-2 cells. In conclusion, the permeability in Caco-2 cells was equivalent to the permeability in rat jejunum and ileum determined with the Ussing system. Therefore, this newly developed cocktail assay and its application to the Ussing system can be a useful tool for robust and rapid screening for site-specific permeability in rat intestine, thus accelerating the prediction of absorption of new chemical entities.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.1292-1300
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• 2006

Aeromonas encheleia, a potential human intestinal pathogen, was shown to infect a human intestinal epithelial cell line (Caco-2) in a noninvasive manner. The transcriptional profile of the Caco-2 cells after infection with the bacteria revealed an upregulated expression of genes involved in chloride secretion, including that of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and platelet-activating factor (PAF) acetylhydrolase (PAFAH2). This was also confirmed by a real-time RT-PCR analysis. As expected from PLA2 induction, PAF was produced when the Caco-2 cells were infected with the bacteria, and PAF was also produced when the cells were treated with a bacterial culture supernatant including bacterial extracellular proteins, yet lacking lipopolysaccharides. Bacterial aerolysin was shown to induce the production of PAF.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.276-281
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• 2003

The adhesion of probiotic bacteria to the intestinal mucosa is one of the desirable properties for their colonization in the intestinal tract, where these bacteria constantly compete with other bacteria. The adhesion of different strains of bifidobacteria to Caco-2 cells was compared. Among the strains examined, BGN-4 showed the highest adhesion level and the greatest cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH). No close relationship was found between the adhesion and CSH of the strains. Upon protease and heat treatment, the adhesion of the BGN-4 to the Caco-2 cells decreased significantly. The cells grown at $42^{\circ}C$ showed a lower CSH and self-aggregation levels than cells grown at $37^{\circ}C$. The treatment of EGTA did not have any effect on the adhesion. The degree of adhesion did not differ among the experimental groups in which galactose, mannose, or fucose were added in the adhesion assay mixture. The results suggest that the adhesion of the Bifidobacterium to the epithelial cells may be affected by the composition and structure of the cell membrane and interacting surfaces.