Development and characterisation of air-liquid interface exposure systems for cell and tissue cultures
Abstract
Introduction: Monitoring the delivery of inhaled materials to the respiratory tract requires consideration of particle deposition and gas dissolution within the complex structure of the respiratory system. Until the last decade or so, methodology relied heavily on animal models or limited, submerged cell culture models that did not capture air-liquid interactions, identifying the need for more comprehensive in vitro aerosol exposure systems to examine how aerosolised substances impact respiratory tissues, cellular responses, toxicity, and overall health. Aerosols possess opposing qualities, serving both as hazards and therapeutic tools, which underscores the critical necessity for rigorous safety testing. This thesis describes the development and characterisation of in vitro aerosol and smoke exposure systems for future testing, the Vitrocell® 24/48 and the InHALES systems. Results: The Vitrocell® 24/48 system was developed to simulate physiological conditions at the air-liquid interface using a stagnation flow setup with controlled temperature (37°C). Comprehensive characterisation revealed excellent reproducibility with a coefficient of variation of 12.2% across inserts and 15.6% overall between experimental runs. Quartz crystal microbalance measurements confirmed linear particle deposition (R² > 0.95) across dilution ranges from 7% to 69% cigarette smoke concentration. Chemical analysis revealed a consistent delivery of key smoke constituents, with eight carbonyls and…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a thesis, done in cell cultures (in vitro), not in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
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