A gut-on-chip model reveals architecture-dependent epithelial responses to microbial challenge
Advanced in vitro models that better recapitulate human intestinal physiology are needed to improve translational relevance and reduce reliance on animal experimentation. Microfluidic gut-on-chip systems provide controlled architectural and mechanical microenvironments that more closely resemble native tissue than conventional static cultures. However, how these features influence epithelial responses to microbial stimuli remains incompletely understood. In this study, we compared conventional two-dimensional (2D) Caco-2 monolayers with a perfused three-dimensional (3D) gut-on-chip model exhibiting crypt-like epithelial organization. Microbial challenge was employed as a biologically relevant perturbation to investigate barrier-associated responses under distinct culture conditions. Following exposure to the probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN), epithelial morphology, barrier-associated gene expression, inflammatory signaling, and temporal response patterns were assessed over time. In a complementary approach, susceptibility to bacterial stress was examined using increasing doses of Citrobacter rodentium (C. rodentium). Both culture systems responded dynamically to microbial exposure; however, differences in response patterns were observed between static and perfused cultures. EcN induced transient alterations in epithelial organization followed by recovery-associated responses, while C. rodentium caused dose-dependent structural and transcriptional changes. Notably, epithelial damage became apparent at lower bacterial loads in conventional 2D cultures, whereas the chip-based model maintained tissue integrity under comparable conditions. Together, these findings indicate that epithelial architecture and the surrounding culture environment influence barrier-associated responses to microbial challenge. The study highlights the utility of gut-on-chip systems for investigating host-microbe interactions and provides a framework for functional comparison of advanced intestinal in vitro models.