Axenic Long-Term Cultivation of Pneumocystis jirovecii

Pneumocystis jirovecii, a fungus causing severe Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in humans, has long been described as non-culturable. Only isolated short-term experiments with P. jirovecii and a small number of experiments involving animal-derived Pneumocystis species have been published to date. However, P. jirovecii culture conditions may differ significantly from those of animal-derived Pneumocystis, as there are major genotypic and phenotypic differences between them. Establishing a well-performing P. jirovecii cultivation is crucial to understanding PCP and its pathophysiological processes. The aim of this study, therefore, was to develop an axenic culture for Pneumocystis jirovecii. To identify promising approaches for cultivation, a literature survey encompassing animal-derived Pneumocystis cultures was carried out. The variables identified, such as incubation time, pH value, vitamins, amino acids, and other components, were trialed and adjusted to find the optimum conditions for P. jirovecii culture. This allowed us to develop a medium that produced a 42.6-fold increase in P. jirovecii qPCR copy numbers after a 48-day culture. Growth was confirmed microscopically by the increasing number and size of actively growing Pneumocystis clusters in the final medium, DMEM-O3. P. jirovecii doubling time was 8.9 days (range 6.9 to 13.6 days). In conclusion, we successfully cultivated P. jirovecii under optimized cell-free conditions in a 70-day long-term culture for the first time. However, further optimization of the culture conditions for this slow grower is indispensable.

Safety Evaluation of Dry Powder Formulations by Direct Dispersion onto Air-Liquid Interface Cultured Cell Layer

Most safety evaluations of dry powder inhalers (DPIs) using cultured cells have been performed with dry powder formulations dissolved in a medium. However, this method is not considered to be suitable to evaluate the safety of inhaled dry powder formulations correctly since it cannot reflect the actual phenomenon on the respiratory epithelial surface. In this study, we established a novel in-vitro safety evaluation system suitable for DPIs by combining an air-liquid interface cultured cell layer and a device for dispersing dry powders, and evaluated the safety of candidate excipients of dry powders for inhalation. The safety of excipients (sugars, amino acids, cyclodextrins, and positive controls) in solutions was compared using submerged cell culture systems with a conventional 96-well plate and Transwell(®). The sensitivity of the cells grown in Transwell(®) was lower than that of those grown in the 96-well plate. Dry powders were prepared by spray-drying and we evaluated their safety with a novel in-vitro safety evaluation system using an air-liquid interface cultured cell layer. Dry powders decreased the cell viability with doses more than solutions. On the other hand, dissolving the dry powders attenuated their cytotoxicity. This suggested that the novel in-vitro safety evaluation system would be suitable to evaluate the safety of DPIs with high sensitivity.

Hanging drop: an in vitro air toxic exposure model using human lung cells in 2D and 3D structures

Using benzene as a candidate air toxicant and A549 cells as an in vitro cell model, we have developed and validated a hanging drop (HD) air exposure system that mimics an air liquid interface exposure to the lung for periods of 1h to over 20 days. Dose response curves were highly reproducible for 2D cultures but more variable for 3D cultures. By comparing the HD exposure method with other classically used air exposure systems, we found that the HD exposure method is more sensitive, more reliable and cheaper to run than medium diffusion methods and the CULTEX(®) system. The concentration causing 50% of reduction of cell viability (EC50) for benzene, toluene, p-xylene, m-xylene and o-xylene to A549 cells for 1h exposure in the HD system were similar to previous in vitro static air exposure. Not only cell viability could be assessed but also sub lethal biological endpoints such as DNA damage and interleukin expressions. An advantage of the HD exposure system is that bioavailability and cell concentrations can be derived from published physicochemical properties using a four compartment mass balance model. The modelled cellular effect concentrations EC50cell for 1h exposure were very similar for benzene, toluene and three xylenes and ranged from 5 to 15 mmol/kgdry weight, which corresponds to the intracellular concentration of narcotic chemicals in many aquatic species, confirming the high sensitivity of this exposure method.

Comet assay and air-liquid interface exposure system: a new combination to evaluate genotoxic effects of cigarette whole smoke in human lung cell lines

Over the past three decades, the genotoxic effects of cigarette smoke have generally been evaluated in non-human cell models after exposure to particulate phase, gas phase, or cigarette smoke condensate, rather than the whole smoke aerosol itself. In vitro setups using human cell lines and whole smoke exposure to mimic actual aerosol exposure should more accurately reflect human cigarette smoke exposure. We investigated the VITROCELL® 24 air-liquid interface exposure system in combination with the comet assay to assess DNA damage in two different human lung epithelial cell lines exposed to whole smoke. Results showed a repeatable and reproducible dose-response relationship between DNA damage and increased whole smoke dose in both cell lines. Thus, the combination of the comet assay with the VITROCELL® 24 represents a valuable new in vitro test system to screen and assess DNA damage in human lung cells exposed to whole smoke.

An alternative gas-phase in vitro exposure system for toxicity testing: the interaction between nitrous oxide and A549 cells

An original in vitro approach was adopted to expose cells to volatile agents. The anaesthetic nitrous oxide (N(2)O) was chosen as the model agent, and type II pneumocyte-like cells (A549 cells) were used as the target to represent the lungs. A time-lapse microscopy station was equipped with a manual gas mixer that allowed the generation of a mixture of N(2)O/air/CO(2) in the gas phase, to provide a uniform distribution of the volatile agent. The dissolution of N(2)O in the culture medium was monitored by gas chromatography-electron capture detection. Biochemical alterations, in terms of homocysteine accumulation, demonstrated that intracellular methionine synthase had been inactivated by N(2)O absorbed by the cells, a process that also occurs in vivo. Toll-like receptors, which are key molecules in inflammatory lung diseases, were also investigated at the molecular level. Our experiments indicated that biochemical and molecular alterations occurred in the cells, even under conditions where neither morphologic changes nor consistent alterations in cell proliferation were evident. This in vitro exposure system can be efficiently adopted for looking at the repeat-dose effects of volatile agents on respiratory tissues. Moreover, it could be of further benefit for identifying the wide range of specific cell targets, and for monitoring relevant endpoints in the cellular and molecular processes that occur during exposure to volatile compounds.

New exposure system to evaluate the toxicity of (scooter) exhaust emissions in lung cells in vitro

A constantly growing number of scooters produce an increasing amount of potentially harmful emissions. Due to their engine technology, two-stroke scooters emit huge amounts of adverse substances, which can induce adverse pulmonary and cardiovascular health effects. The aim of this study was to develop a system to expose a characterized triple cell coculture model of the human epithelial airway barrier, to freshly produced and characterized total scooter exhaust emissions. In exposure chambers, cell cultures were exposed for 1 and 2 h to 1:100 diluted exhaust emissions and in the reference chamber to filtered ambient air, both controlled at 5% CO(2), 85% relative humidity, and 37 degrees C. The postexposure time was 0-24 h. Cytotoxicity, used to validate the exposure system, was significantly increased in exposed cell cultures after 8 h postexposure time. (Pro-) inflammatory chemo- and cytokine concentrations in the medium of exposed cells were significantly higher at the 12 h postexposure time point. It was shown that the described exposure system (with 2 h exposure duration, 8 and 24 h postexposure time, dilution of 1:100, flow of 2 L/min as optimal exposure conditions) can be used to evaluate the toxic potential of total exhaust emissions.

An effort to test the embryotoxicity of benzene, toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde to murine embryonic stem cells using airborne exposure technique

Benzene, toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde are well-known indoor air pollutants, especially after house decoration. They are also common pollutants in the working places of the plastic industry, chemical industry, and leather industry. It has been reported that these pollutants cause people to be irritated, sick, experience a headache, and be dizzy. They also have the potential to induce asthma, aplastic anemia, and leukemia, even cause abortion or fetus malformation in humans. In this study, the airborne toxicity of benzene, toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde to murine embryonic stem cells (mES cells) were tested using airborne exposure technique to evaluate the mES cell airborne exposure model on embryotoxicity prediction. Briefly, mES cells were cultured on Transwell inserts and were exposed to an airborne surrounding of test chemicals in a chamber for 1 h at 37 degrees C. Cytotoxicity was determined using the MTT assay after further culture for 18 h at 37 degrees C in normal medium. The airborne IC(50) (50% inhibition concentration) of benzene, toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde derived from the fitted dose-response curves were 17,400 +/- 1290, 16,000 +/- 250, 4680 +/- 500, and 620 +/- 310 ppm, respectively. Formaldehyde was found to be the compound most toxic to mES cells compared to benzene homologues. The toxicity data had good correlation with the in vivo data. The results showed that the mES airborne exposure model may be used to predict embryotoxicity of volatile organic compounds.

A rapid and simple evaluation system for gas toxicity using luminous bacteria entrapped by a polyion complex membrane

We have developed a rapid and simple gas toxicity evaluation system based on bioluminescence inhibition of a marine-derived wild luminous bacterium, Vibrio fischeri. The luminous bacteria were trapped using a thin polyion complex membrane in order to allow semi direct contact between the bacteria and toxic gases. Bioluminescence inhibition ratios of the present system to six reference gases, including benzene, trichloroethylene, acetone, NO(2), SO(2), and CO, were evaluated, and dose-response relationships were successfully obtained after 15 min of gas exposure, except for CO gas. The sensitivity to the five gases except for CO gas of the present system was 1-3 orders of magnitude higher than that in acute animal tests. The present system also allowed for the evaluation of overall toxicity of some environmental gases containing various chemicals. These results clearly demonstrated that the present system would be a valuable prototype for rapid and on-site acute toxicity detection of a gas mixture, such as environmental gases.