Epithelial cell cultures obtained by nasal brush biopsy – Establishment of a time-optimized sufficient in vivo method and comparison of this with nasal biopsy

Introduction In vitro models of the nasal mucosa are suitable for the toxicological investigation of volatile substances. So far, no satisfactory combination of ease of use & high in vivo resemblance has been established. We aim to improve air-liquid interface (ALI) models for nasal epithelium by combining fast model establishment, easy access to donor material & high in vivo similarity.

Methods Nasal brush biopsies were used as donor material for epithelial cells for ALI cultures. For co-cultures, epithelial cells were co-cultured with allogeneic fibroblasts. Epithelial cells and fibroblasts were characterized by immunofluorescence, mucus production is evaluated by qPCR and by microscopy. The brush biopsy model was compared with ex vivo donor material and with models from classical nasal biopsy material. In addition, the models were examined and compared exemplarily regarding the response to black carbon nanoparticles.

Results The results show that epithelial cells from brush biopsies can be used for ALI models after a few days. To the time for ALI culture establishment, the time difference between brush biopsy model and the model from classical nasal biopsy was about 10 days. The morphology of both models was of high quality and consistent toxicological data could be collected in both cases.

Conclusion We demonstrated that ALI model from brush biopsies benefits research on cell and molecular biology of nasal niche, especially regarding interaction studies with required epithelial-air interface.

Publication History

Article published online:
24 May 2022