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Updated: Sep 23, 2026
Methods to Study Epithelial Transport Protein Function and Expression in Native Intestine and Caco-2 Cells Grown in 3D
Published on: March 16, 2017
Effect of neuronal PC12 cells on the functional properties of intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells
Hideo Satsu1, Tatsuya Yokoyama, Nobumasa Ogawa
1Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan. asatsu@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Abstract:
The effect of neuronal cells on the functional properties of intestinal epithelial cells was examined by using an in vitro coculture system. Two cell lines, Caco-2 and PC12, were respectively used as intestinal epithelial and enteric neuronal cell models. Coculture of differentiated Caco-2 cells with PC12 caused a significant decrease in the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) value of the Caco-2 monolayer. The permeability to lucifer yellow (LY) was also significantly increased, suggesting that the tight junction (TJ) of the Caco-2 monolayers was modulated by coculturing with PC12. To identify the TJ-modulating factor presumably secreted from PC12, the effects of the major neurotransmitters on the TER value and LY transport were examined, but no influence was apparent. The TJ-modulating effect of PC12 was prevented by exposing PC12 to cycloheximide, suggesting that new protein synthesis in PC12 was necessary for this regulation.
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