Establishment of a new alveolar epithelial cell model by gene transfection and its application to the study on drug transport and toxicity in the lungs

为了建立新的肺泡II型上皮细胞模型，我们将Abca3基因导入RLE-6TN细胞。与RLE- 6tn细胞相比，RLE/Abca3细胞Abca3 mRNA的表达和II型细胞特有的胞内细胞器板层体的形成增加。令人惊讶的是，其他II型标记mrna的表达和白蛋白摄取活性也有所增加，这表明Abca3基因的引入将引导RLE-6TN细胞向更多II型样细胞转变。此外，RLE/Abca3细胞对诱导肺泡上皮细胞上皮间质转化的tgf - β 1和博来霉素的反应优于RLE- 6tn细胞。因此，RLE/Abca3细胞可能是一个很有前途的体外模型系统来分析和预测药物诱导的肺毒性。

In order to develop a new alveolar type II epithelial cell model, Abca3 gene was introduced into RLE-6TN cells. Compared to RLE-6TN cells, the expression of Abca3 mRNA and the formation of lamellar bodies, characteristic intracellular organelle in type II cells, were increased in RLE/Abca3 cells. Surprisingly, the expression of other type II marker mRNAs and albumin uptake activity were also increased, indicating that introduction of Abca3 gene would direct RLE-6TN cells to more type II-like cells. In addition, RLE/Abca3 cells responded well to TGF-beta1 and bleomycin, compounds inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition in alveolar epithelial cells, than RLE-6TN cells. Thus, RLE/Abca3 cells may be a promising in-vitro model system to analyze and predict drug-induced lung toxicity.