Dataset Information

Low-Cost Method and Biochip for Measuring the Trans-Epithelial Electrical Resistance (TEER) of Esophageal Epithelium.

ABSTRACT: Trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) is a good indicator of the barrier integrity of epithelial tissues and is often employed in biomedical research as an effective tool to assess ion transport and permeability of tight junctions. The Ussing chamber is the gold standard for measuring TEER of tissue specimens, but it has major drawbacks: it is a macroscopic method that requires a careful and labor intensive sample mounting protocol, allows a very limited viability for the mounted sample, has large parasitic components and low throughput as it cannot perform multiple simultaneous measurements, and this sophisticated and delicate apparatus has a relatively high cost. This paper demonstrates a low-cost home-made "sandwich ring" method which was used to measure the TEER of tissue specimens effectively. This method inspired the subsequent design of a biochip fabricated using standard soft lithography and laser engraving technologies, with which the TEER of pig epithelial tissues was measured. Moreover, it was possible to temporarily preserve the tissue specimens for days in the biochip and monitor the TEER continuously. Tissue responses after exposure tests to media of various pH values were also successfully recorded using the biochip. All these demonstrate that this biochip could be an effective, cheaper, and easier to use Ussing chamber substitute that may have relevant applications in clinical practice.

SUBMITTER: Poenar DP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7288155 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Low-Cost Method and Biochip for Measuring the Trans-Epithelial Electrical Resistance (TEER) of Esophageal Epithelium.

Poenar Daniel Puiu DP Yang Guang G Wan Wei Keat WK Feng Shilun S

Materials (Basel, Switzerland) 20200520 10

Trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) is a good indicator of the barrier integrity of epithelial tissues and is often employed in biomedical research as an effective tool to assess ion transport and permeability of tight junctions. The Ussing chamber is the gold standard for measuring TEER of tissue specimens, but it has major drawbacks: it is a macroscopic method that requires a careful and labor intensive sample mounting protocol, allows a very limited viability for the mounted sample, ...[more]

PMID: 32443854

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Project description:Background and aims:Human colonoid cultures maintained under low-calcium (0.25 mM) conditions undergo differentiation spontaneously and, concomitantly, express a high level of tight junction proteins, but not desmosomal proteins. When calcium is included to a final concentration of 1.5-3.0 mM (provided either as a single agent or as a combination of calcium and additional minerals), there is little change in tight junction protein expression but a strong up-regulation of desmosomal proteins and an increase in desmosome formation. The aim of this study was to assess the functional consequences of calcium-mediated differences in barrier protein expression.Methods:Human colonoid-derived epithelial cells were interrogated in transwell culture under low- or high-calcium conditions for monolayer integrity and ion permeability by measuring trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) across the confluent monolayer. Colonoid cohesiveness was assessed in parallel.Results:TEER values were high in the low-calcium environment but increased in response to calcium. In addition, colonoid cohesiveness increased substantially with calcium supplementation. In both assays, the response to multi-mineral intervention was greater than the response to calcium alone. Consistent with these findings, several components of tight junctions were expressed at 0.25 mM calcium but these did not increase substantially with supplementation. Cadherin-17 and desmoglein-2, in contrast, were weakly-expressed under low calcium conditions but increased with intervention.Conclusions:These findings indicate that low ambient calcium levels are sufficient to support the formation of a permeability barrier in the colonic epithelium. Higher calcium levels promote tissue cohesion and enhance barrier function. These findings may help explain how an adequate calcium intake contributes to colonic health by improving barrier function, even though there is little change in colonic histological features over a wide range of calcium intake levels.

Dataset Information

Low-Cost Method and Biochip for Measuring the Trans-Epithelial Electrical Resistance (TEER) of Esophageal Epithelium.

Publications

Low-Cost Method and Biochip for Measuring the Trans-Epithelial Electrical Resistance (TEER) of Esophageal Epithelium.

Similar Datasets

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