Immunocompetent Intestine-on-Chip Model for Analyzing Gut Mucosal Immune Responses

Summary

Our detailed protocol outlines the creation and use of the advanced intestine-on-chip model, which simulates human intestinal mucosa with 3D structures and various cell types, enabling in-depth analysis of immune responses and cellular functions in response to microbial colonization.

Abstract

An advanced intestine-on-chip model recreating epithelial 3D organotypic villus-like and crypt-like structures has been developed. The immunocompetent model includes Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC), Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells, tissue-resident macrophages, and dendritic cells, which self-organize within the tissue, mirroring characteristics of the human intestinal mucosa. A unique aspect of this platform is its capacity to integrate circulating human primary immune cells, enhancing physiological relevance. The model is designed to investigate the intestinal immune system's response to bacterial and fungal colonization and infection. Due to its enlarged cavity size, the model offers diverse functional readouts such as permeation assays, cytokine release, and immune cell infiltration, and is compatible with immunofluorescence measurement of 3D structures formed by the epithelial cell layer. It hereby provides comprehensive insights into cell differentiation and function. The intestine-on-chip platform has demonstrated its potential in elucidating complex interactions between surrogates of a living microbiota and human host tissue within a microphysiological perfused biochip platform.

Introduction

Organ-on-Chip (OoC) systems represent an emerging technique of 3D cell culture that is capable of bridging the gap between conventional 2D cell culture and animal models. OoC platforms typically consist of one or more compartments containing tissue-specific cells grown on a wide range of scaffolds such as membranes or hydrogels¹. The models are capable of mimicking one or more defined organotypic functions. Pumps enable continuous microfluidic perfusion of cell culture medium for removal of cellular waste products, supply with nutrition and growth factors for improved cellular differentiation, and recreating essential in vivo condition....

Protocol

This protocol requires access to ~20 mL of fresh blood per biochip from healthy donors to isolate primary human monocytes. All donors gave written, informed consent to participate in this study, which was approved by the ethics committee of the University Hospital Jena (permission number 2018-1052-BO). For details about the materials, refer to the Table of Materials. For details about the composition of all solutions and media, refer to Table 1.

1. Gener.......

Discussion

The presented protocol details the necessary steps for generating an immunocompetent intestine-on-chip model. We described specific techniques and possible readout methods such as immunofluorescence microscopy, cytokine and metabolite analysis, flow cytometry, protein and genetic analysis, and permeability measurement.

The described model consists of primary HUVECs, monocyte-derived macrophages, and monocyte-derived dendritic cells co-cultured with a 3D layer of intestinal epithelial cells rep.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
96-well plate black, clear bottom	Thermo Fisher	10000631	Consumables
Acetic acid	Roth	3738.4	Chemicals
Alexa Fluor 488 AffiniPure, donkey, anti-mouse IgG (H+L)	Jackson Immuno Research	715-545-150	Secondary Antibody Vascular Staining and Epithelial Staining
Alexa Fluor 647 AffiniPure, donkey, anti-rabbit IgG (H+L)	Jackson Immuno Research	711-605-152	Secondary Antibody Epithelial Staining
Alexa Fluor 647, donkey, anti-rabbit IgG (H+L)	Thermo Fisher Scientific, Invitrogen	A31573	Secondary Antibody Vascular Staining
Axiocam ERc5s camera	Zeiss	426540-9901-000	Technical equipment
Basal Medium MV, phenol red-free	Promocell	C-22225	Cell culture consumables
Biochip	Dynamic 42	BC002	Microfluidic consumables
BSA fraction V	Gibco	15260-037	Cell culture consumables
C2BBe1 (clone of Caco-2)	ATCC	CRL-2102	Epithelial Cell Source
Chloroform	Sigma	C2432	Chemicals
CO2 Incubator	Heracell	150i	Technical equipment
Collagen IV from human placenta	Sigma-Aldrich	C5533	Cell culture consumables
Coverslips (24 x 40 mm; #1.5)	Menzel-Gläser	15747592	Consumables
Cy3 AffiniPure, donkey, anti-goat IgG (H+L)	Jackson Immuno Research	705-165-147	Secondary Antibody Vascular Staining
Cy3 AffiniPure, donkey, anti-rat IgG (H+L)	Jackson Immuno Research	712-165-150	Secondary Antibody Epithelial Staining
DAPI (4',6-Diamidin-2-phenylindol, Dilactate)	Thermo Fisher Scientific, Invitrogen	D3571	Vascular and Epithelial Staining
Descosept PUR	Dr.Schuhmacher	00-323-100	Cell culture consumables
DMEM high glucose	Gibco	41965-062	Cell culture consumables
DMEM high glucose w/o phenol red	Gibco	31053028	Cell culture consumables
DPBS (-/-)	Gibco	14190-169	Cell culture consumables
DPBS (+/+)	Gibco	14040-133	Cell culture consumables
EDTA solution	Invitrogen	15575-038	Cell culture consumables
Endothelial Cell Growth Medium	Promocell	C-22020	Cell culture consumables
Endothelial Cell Growth Medium supplement mix	Promocell	C-39225	Cell culture consumables
Ethanol 96%, undenatured	Nordbrand-Nordhausen	410	Chemicals
Fetal bovine Serum	invitrogen	10270106	Cell culture consumables
Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran (3-5 kDa)	Sigma Aldrich	FD4-100MG	Chemicals
Fluorescent Mounting Medium	Dako	S3023	Chemicals
Gentamycin (10mg/mL)	Sigma Aldrich	G1272	Cell culture consumables
GlutaMAX Supplement (100x)	Gibco	35050061	Cell culture consumables
Histopaque	Sigma-Aldrich	10771	Cell culture consumables
Hoechst (bisBenzimid) H33342	Sigma-Aldrich	14533	Epithelial Staining
Holotransferrin (5mg/mL) Transferrin, Holo, Human Plasma	Millipore	616397	Cell culture consumables
Human recombinant GM-CSF	Peprotech	300-30	Cell culture consumables
Human recombinant M-CSF	Peprotech	300-25	Cell culture consumables
Illumination device	Zeiss	HXP 120 C	Fluorescence Microscope Setup
Laser Scanning Microscope	Zeiss	CLSM980	Fluorescence Microscope Setup
Lidocain hydrochloride	Sigma-Aldrich	L5647	Cell culture consumables
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)	Sigma	L2630	Cell culture consumables
Loftex Wipes	Loftex	1250115	Consumables
Low attachment tubes (PS, 5 mL)	Falcon	352052	Consumables
Luer adapter for the top cap (M)	Mo Bi Tec	M3003	Microfluidic consumables
Male mini luer plugs, row of four,PP, opaque	Microfluidic chipshop	09-0556-0336-09	Microfluidic consumables
MEM Non-Essential Amino Acids Solution	Gibco	11140	Cell culture consumables
Methanol	Roth	8388.2	Chemicals
Microscope	Zeiss	Axio Observer 5	Fluorescence Microscope Setup
Microscope slides	Menzel	MZ-0002	Consumables
Monoclonal, mouse, anti-human CD68 Antibody (KP1)	Thermo Fisher Scientific, Invitrogen	14-0688-82	Primary Antibody Vascular Staining
Monoclonal, rat, anti-human E-Cadherin antibody (DECMA-1)	Sigma-Aldrich, Millipore	MABT26	Primary Antibody Epithelial Staining
Multiskan Go plate reader	Thermo Fisher	51119300	Technical equipment
Normal donkey serum	Biozol	LIN-END9010-10	Chemicals
Optical Sectioning	Zeiss	ApoTome	Fluorescence Microscope Setup
Penicillin-Streptomycin (10,000 U/mL)	Gibco	15140-122	Cell culture consumables
Plugs	Cole Parmer	GZ-45555-56	Microfluidic consumables
Polyclonal, goat, anti-human VE-Cadherin Antibody	R&D Systems	AF938	Primary Antibody Vascular Staining
Polyclonal, rabbit, anti-human Von Willebrand Factor Antibody	Dako	A0082	Primary Antibody Vascular Staining
Polyclonal, rabbit, anti-human ZO-1 antibody	Thermo Fisher Scientific, Invitrogen	61-7300	Primary Antibody Epithelial Staining
Power Supply Microscope	Zeiss	Eplax Vp232	Fluorescence Microscope Setup
Primovert microscope	Zeiss	415510-1101-000	Technical equipment
Reglo ICC peristaltic pump	Ismatec	ISM4412	Technical equipment
SAHA (Vorinostat)	Sigma Aldrich	SML0061-25MG	Chemicals
Saponin	Fluka	47036	Chemicals
S-Monovette, 7.5 mL Z-Gel	Sarstedt	01.1602	Consumables
S-Monovette, 9.0 mL K3E	Sarstedt	02.1066.001	Consumables
Sodium Pyruvate	Gibco	11360-088	Cell culture consumables
Tank 4.5 mL	ChipShop	10000079	Microfluidic consumables
Trypane blue stain 0.4%	Invitrogen	T10282	Cell culture consumables
Trypsin	Gibco	11538876	Cell culture consumables
Tubing	Dynamic 42	ST001	Microfluidic consumables
Tweezers (Präzisionspinzette DUMONT abgewinkelt Inox08, 5/45, 0,06 mm)	Roth	K343.1	Consumables
Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA)	Thermo Fisher Scientific, Invitrogen	W32464	Epithelial Staining
X-VIVO 15	Lonza	BE02-060F	Cell culture consumables, Hematopoietic cell medium
Zellkultur Multiwell Platten, 24 Well, sterile	Greiner Bio-One	662 160	Consumables
Zellkultur Multiwell Platten, 6 Well, sterile	Greiner Bio-One	657 160	Consumables
Zen Blue Software	Zeiss	Version 3.7	Microscopy Software