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bioRxiv · 10.1101/637058

Functional analysis of OCTN2 and ATB0,+ in normal human airway epithelial cells

Rotoli, B. M.·Visigalli, R.·Barilli, A.·Ferrari, F.·Bianchi, M. G.·Di Lascia, M.·Riccardi, B.·Puccini, P.·Dall'asta, V.
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Abstract

In human, OCTN2 (SLC22A5) and ATB0,+ (SLC6A14) transporters mediate the uptake of L-carnitine, essential for the transport of fatty acids into mitochondria and the subsequent degradation by {beta}-oxidation. Aim of the present study is to characterize L-carnitine transport in EpiAirway, a 3D organotypic in vitro model of primary human tracheal-bronchial epithelial cells that form a fully differentiated, pseudostratified columnar epithelium at air-liquid interface (ALI) condition. In parallel, Calu-3 monolayers grown at ALI were used as comparison. In EpiAirway, ATB0,+ was highly expressed and functional on the apical side while OCTN2 transporter was active on the basolateral side. Calu-3 cells showed a different pattern of expression and activity for ATB0,+: indeed, L-carnitine uptake on apical side was evident in Calu-3 at 8 days of culture but not in fully differentiated 21d ALI culture. As both ATB0,+ and OCTN2, beyond transporting L-carnitine, have a significant potential as delivery systems for drugs, the identification of these transporters in EpiAirway can open new fields of investigation in the studies of drug inhalation and pulmonary delivery.

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Rotoli, B. M., Visigalli, R., Barilli, A., Ferrari, F., Bianchi, M. G., Di Lascia, M., Riccardi, B., Puccini, P., Dall'asta, V.. 2019-05-13. Functional analysis of OCTN2 and ATB0,+ in normal human airway epithelial cells. https://doi.org/10.1101/637058

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