Responses of differentiated primary human lung epithelial cells to exposure to diesel exhaust at an air-liquid interface

Abstract

In vitro responses of potential target cell types to air pollutants under physiological conditions may be useful in understanding the health effects of air pollution exposure. The study evaluated responses of human primary airway epithelial cells to diesel exhaust (DE). Cultures of cells from 3 donors, differentiated by culture on membranes with the apical surfaces exposed to the atmosphere, were exposed to filtered air or DE. Some exposure-related effects were similar among donors, whereas others were affected by the donor, consistent with human population heterogeneity. This model may be useful for mechanistic and comparative toxicology studies.