The assessment of toxicological effects of airborne particles to the human organism is of major importance in disease research. The presence of nano and ultrafine particles can be found both in indoor and outdoor atmospheres which include workplaces and living areas. Over the last years, the degree of contribution to diseases of such particles is analyzed ever more frequent by the use of in vitro methods. The required equipment for these studies consisting of aerosol generation and exposure systems are nowadays developed more and more to proven levels.

VITROCELL Application Note.

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DOI:10.3791/61210 

Hedwig M. Braakhuis^₁, Ruiwen He^1,2, Rob J. Vandebriel¹, Eric R. Gremmer¹, Edwin Zwart¹, Jolanda P. Vermeulen¹, Paul Fokkens¹, John Boere¹, Ilse Gosens¹, Flemming R. Cassee^1,2 
1National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) 
²Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS) 

This article provides a method for culturing and exposing the human bronchial epithelial cell line Calu-37 at the Air-liquid Interface that mimics realistic, repeated inhalation exposure conditions that can be used for toxicity testing. By applying a continuous airflow using the Automated Exposure System, the cell model can be exposed to a low concentration of particles over a longer time period, reflecting realistic exposure conditions. Characteristics of both the cell model and of  the exposure system are essential for achieving a realistic inhalation exposure model that can be used for repeated exposures. 

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c&en, Volume 96, Issue 43

The complexity of next-generation tobacco products has increased by a number of factors since FDA was given responsibility to regulate tobacco. Testing e-liquids with animals is not practical, economically and not that accurate. The Vitrocell system generates airborne materials from test products, such as smoke from reference cigarettes and vapor from e-cigarettes, in a manner that simulates how a person would puff. This artcile shows, how IIVS scientists use human donor tissues, obtained from organs, to create cell cultures and in vitro test systems.

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Autoren:
Hillemann, L.; Stintz, M.; Streibel, T.; Zimmermann, R.; Öder, S.; Kasurinen, S.; di Bucchianico, S.; Kanashova, T.; Dittmar, G.; Konzack, D.; Große, S.; Rudolph, A.; Berger, M.; Krebs, T.; Saraji-Bozorgzad, M. R.; Walte, A.

Die Wirkung von Emissionen aus dem Trennen von Carbonbeton werden in einer Kombination aus Trennstaubgenerator, Verdünnungssystem und Expositionssystem an Zellkulturen (A549 und THP-1) gegenüber den entstehenden Stäuben bestimmt (Zytotoxizität).

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https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics10020056 

Julia Metz ^1,2, Katharina Knoth ¹, Henrik Groß ¹, Claus-Michael Lehr ^1,2,3, Carolin Stäbler ⁴, Udo Bock ⁵, and Marius Hittinger ^1
1Department of Drug Delivery, PharmBioTec GmbH, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
²Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
³Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
⁴Department of Scientific Affairs Consumer Health, Bayer Vital GmbH, 51368 Leverkusen, Germany
⁵Bock Project Management, 54456 Tawern, Germany

In this study two innovative in vitro techniques were combined: The Vitrocell® Powder Chamber and the human cell based MucilAir™ system. Their combined use allows the investigation of the effect of aerosolized pollen and appropriate drugs on a human mucosal tissue, a similar scenario finding in humans. The release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) was quantified as an initial cellular response to pollen contact and to confirm the protective effect of drugs.

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