Micropillar/Microwell Chip Assessment for Detoxification of Bisphenol A with Korean Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia)

Abstract

A micropillar/microwell chip platform with 3D cultured liver cells has been used for HTP screening of hepatotoxicity of bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting chemical. We previously found the hepatotoxicity of BPA is alleviated by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). In this study, we have tested potential BPA detoxification with Korean pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) extract, stimulators of ADH and ALDH, as well as arbutin, a reference compound in the pears, on the micropillar/microwell chip platform with human liver cells. Surprisingly, the toxicity of BPA was reduced in the presence of Korean pear extract, indicated by significantly increased IC50 values. The IC50 value of BPA with Korean pear extract tested against HepG2 cells was shifted from 151 to 451 μM, whereas those tested against Hep3B cells was shifted from 110 to 204 μM. Among the tested various concentrations, 1.25, 2.5, and 5 mg/mL of the extract significantly reduced BPA toxicity (Ps < 0.05). However, there was no such detoxification effects with arbutin. This result was supported by changes in protein levels of ADH in the liver cells.

Advances in high throughput cell culture technologies for therapeutic screening and biological discovery applications

“… 178 Other advantages of this system include the use of low amounts of reagents and the possibility of changing all cell culture medium at once instead of well by well, as the whole pillar chip can be moved to a new well chip with medium in one step. The technology has currently been applied for metabolism, 179 toxicology, 180 , 181 , 182 and differentiation 183 , 184 studies in 3D.…”