Evaluating Human Intestinal Cell Lines for Studying Dietary Protein Absorption

Abstract

With the global population rising, the need for sustainable and resource-efficiently produced proteins with nutritional and health promoting qualities has become urgent. Proteins are important macronutrients and are involved in most, if not all, biological processes in the human body. This review discusses these absorption mechanisms in the small intestine. To study intestinal transport and predict bioavailability, cell lines are widely applied as screening models and often concern Caco-2, HT-29, HT-29/MTX and T84 cells. Here, we provide an overview of the presence and activities of peptide- and amino acid transporters in these cell models. Further, inter-laboratory differences are discussed as well as the culture micro-environment, both of which may influence cell culture phenotype and performance. Finally, the value of new developments in the field, including culturing cells in 3-dimensional systems under shear stress (i.e., gut-on-chips), is highlighted. In particular, their suitability in screening novel food proteins and prediction of the nutritional quality needed for inclusion in the human diet of the future is addressed.

Modulation of LPS-induced nitric oxide production in intestinal cells by hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol metabolites: Insight into the mechanism of action

“…As a model of human intestinal epithelium Caco-2 cell monolayers were used. These cells derive from a human colon adenocarcinoma; once in culture they undergo a process of spontaneous differentiation into normal mature enterocytes (Jochems et al, 2018). iNOS is not usually expressed in these cells, but its expression can be induced by bacterial LPS, cytokines, and other toxic or proinflammatory agents (Förstermann & Sessa, 2012).…”

Current Evidence on the Bioavailability of Food Bioactive Peptides

“…(b) Transcellular passive diffusion involves the transport of molecules through apical and basolateral membranes in a concentration-based and energy-independent manner [ 94 ]. The transport of bioactive peptides through passive diffusion is dependent on peptide characteristics such as size, charge, and hydrophobicity [ 95 ].…”

“…Antiporters translocate peptides in opposite directions, whereas symporters transport them via cotransport in the same direction over the blood membrane. Uniporters function unidirectionally, without cotransport [ 94 ]. This transport system is dependent of susbtance concentration, susceptible to inhibition, and specific to the molecules’ structure [ 104 ].…”

“…However, because of the lack of reproducibility of these cell-free systems, in the last few years, new approaches combining in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and intestinal cell models have been optimized and applied for estimation of the bioavailability of peptides. The American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) offers a broad array of commercially available human intestinal cell lines, of which Caco-2 and HT-29 cells are the most commonly used [ 94 ].…”

Novel Dietary Proteins Selectively Affect Intestinal Health In Vitro after Clostridium difficile-Secreted Toxin A Exposure

“…Functional foods are capable of inducing health benefits beyond their nutritional value and offer interesting candidates [ 9 ]. Proteins are often used as the backbone of complete nutritional interventions and are involved in almost all biologic processes within the human body [ 10 ]. In accordance, previous data suggested that food-derived proteins and/or protein fragments harbor functions that contribute to intestinal health, as reviewed by Martínez-Augustin et al [ 11 , 12 ].…”