https://doi.org/10.1186/s12989-020-00376-w

Yaobo Ding^1,2 , Patrick Weindl1,2,3, Anke-Gabriele Lenz^1,2, Paula Mayer^1,2, Tobias Krebs³ and Otmar Schmid^1,2
1Institute of Lung Biology and Disease, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
²Comprehensive Pneumology Center, Munich (CPC-M) - Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), 81377 Munich, Germany
³VITROCELL Systems GmbH, 79183 Waldkirch, Germany.

This study provides evidence that QCMs are suitable for real-time dosimetry in particle toxicology studies with cell cultures under air-liquid interface conditions. An experimental method for determination of LoD (lower limit of detection), accuracy and precision of QCMs using a fluorescent tracer (fluorescein salt) was presented and applied to the QCMs integrated in the VITROCELL® Cloud 6 and Cloud 12 aerosol-cell exposure systems.

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doi:10.3390/ijms21155335

Hana Barosova ^1,2 , Bedia Begum Karakocak ¹ , Dedy Septiadi ¹ , Alke Petri-Fink ^1,3, Vicki Stone ⁴ and Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser ¹,
¹ BioNanomaterials Group, Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, 
² Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
³ Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
⁴ Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK

The in vitro co-culture model consisting of three human cell lines were exposed at the ALI using the VITROCELL® Cloud system, equiped with QCM allowing to measure and record the deposited dose online. The nebulizer was ideal for the aerosols to suffciently mix within the entire chamber, hence resulting in uniform droplet deposition. This study shows, that this model is not limited to testing potentially hazardous nanomaterials to human cell line co-culture models.

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Adam Seymour, Michael Hollings, Joanne Larner and Julie Clements;

Covance Laboratories Ltd, Harrogate, UK

QCMs were used to assess the deposition of cigarette aerosol from a Vitrocell® VC10® in Vitrocell® Ames, 6/4, 12/4 and 24/4 exposure modules. The power to resolve difference between 8 and 1 SLPM is statistically significant in all module types assessed. Uniformity within each module was confirmed (P >0.98) in all module types, at all airflows. Repeatability was assessed and found to be consistent (no significant difference) in all module types at airflows of 10, 8 and 4 SLPM, however, at 1 SLPM a significant difference was noted in 9 out of 12 experiments – likely an artifact of high deposition.
These results show that exposures utilizing the Vitrocell® VC10® and associated modules are robust; but indicate the necessity of dosimetry measures to aid in the quantification of delivered dose.
 

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DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201811-2087OC

Samuel Chung ^{1 2}, Nathalie Baumlin ^{1 2}, John S Dennis ^{1 2}, Robert Moore ², Sebastian F Salathe ², Phillip L Whitney ², Juan Sabater ³, William M Abraham ³, Michael D Kim ^{1 2}, Matthias Salathe ^{1 2
1}Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas.
²Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida; and.
³Department of Research, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida.
 

The transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is a molecular target for vape effects due to its expression in airway epithelia and its reported gating by nicotine, reactive oxidants, and flavors, especially cinnamaldehyde. To test whether nicotine had effects independent of other e-cig vapor constituents, the Vitrocell® CLOUD exposure system was utilized to nebulize fixed nicotine doses onto the apical surface of ALI cultures. A549 cell cultures were exposed to nicotine containing e-cig vapor, produced by the VC-1 smoke exposure robot, in the air-liquid interface.

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Following the VITROCELL® User Group Meeting 2018 in San Antonio, Texas, USA, international scientists from Europe, Japan, Korea and USA reconvened in March 2019.

The informal event organized into short presentations and posters was followed by open discussions. It was an excellent opportunity to discuss the latest developments of VITROCELL®, to exchange your experience in working with the equipment and to meet other fellow researchers.
The meeting took place prior to the international Society of Toxicology 58th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, March 10 – 14, 2018, in Baltimore, USA - one of the largest international conferences related to toxicology.

Focus of the event was to share VITROCELL® activities since the last meeting, to exchange latest research results, to give an update on VITROCELL’s participation in major research programs as well as the presentation of new products for 2019.

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