Measurement of the epithelial barrier integrity in tracheal cell cultures exposed to irritant compounds.

A simple method has been developed to measure epithelial barrier alteration, in order to evaluate the irritant effect of inhaled compounds on the respiratory tract. In vitro primary cell cultures from rabbit tracheal epithelium were grown on permeable filters and used to study the effect of two pollutants-acrolein and parathion-on epithelial barrier integrity. The transepithelial potential difference and [(14)C]mannitol permeability were measured.

Tracheal epithelium in culture: a model for toxicity testing of inhaled molecules.

Rabbit trachea primary cultures have been developed as a model to evaluate the toxicity of noxious airborne pollutants. A mucociliary epithelium has been restored in vitro on collagen gel. Several general cytotoxicity assays (viability and growth inhibition) permit a first assessment for the acute toxicity of the tested molecules.