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Updated: Aug 19, 2026
A Co-culture Method to Investigate the Crosstalk Between X-ray Irradiated Caco-2 Cells and PBMC
Published on: January 30, 2018
Pericytes augment the capillary barrier in in vitro cocultures
C J Dente1, C P Steffes, C Speyer
1Department of Surgery, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
Unlabelled:
Most in vitro studies of capillary permeability focus on endothelial cell (MVEC) monolayers and ignore the second cell that forms the capillary wall: the microvascular pericyte (PC). We describe a model to study the permeability characteristics of MVEC, PC, and MVEC:PC cocultures.
Methods:
Semipermeable culture inserts were coated with collagen and then plated with early passage bovine pulmonary MVEC. On Day 3, bovine pulmonary PC were added at concentrations to approximate MVEC:PC ratios of 1:1, 5:1, and 10:1. Electrical resistance was measured on subsequent days and fluorescently labeled (FITC) albumin was used in a permeability assay to calculate an albumin clearance for each culture.
Results:
The results for electrical resistance measurements and albumin assays showed a similar pattern. Resistance for endothelial cell monolayers was significantly higher and albumin permeability was significantly lower than that of controls. Addition of pericytes at a 10:1 and 5:1 ratios increased the permeability barrier compared to endothelial cells alone, although these cultures were not significantly different from one another. Cocultures at a 1:1 ratio had the best barrier, significantly better than all other cultures.
Conclusions:
Endothelial cell monolayers are an inadequate model of the microcirculation. As PC form a key component of the capillary wall in vivo and as addition of PC to MVEC monolayers in vitro, optimally at a 1:1 ratio, increase their barrier effect to large and small molecules, we believe it is necessary to include both cells in future in vitro studies.
