An Experimental Model of Human Absorptive Enterocytes (Caco-2) to Assess

the Bioavailability of Various MetalsJonas Tallkvist

Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Division of Pathology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Swedish

University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden

MITF 071018

Bioavailability

”The fraction of ingested metal that reaches the systemic circulation”

Factors Influencing Bioavailability

• Dose• Age• pH• Gastrointestinal contents• Nutritional status• Disease

Metals Investigated in Caco-2 Cells

V

Co

Fe

Mn

Ca

Cu

Cd

Zn

Ni

Pb

Cr

Mg

Routes of Metal Absorption

Basement membrane

Blood vessel

Mucosal/apical side

Blood/basolateral side

Enterocytes

Active Passive

The Caco-2 Cell Model

Apical chamber

Basolateral chamber Permeable filter support

Caco-2 cells

Cadmium Absorption

Zalups and Ahmad (2003) Toxcol Appl Pharm, 186, 3

Tallkvist et al., (2001) Tox Lett, 122, 171

Correlation Between DMT1 Expression and Cd Transport in Caco-2 Cells

Summary

The Caco-2 cell model provides a useful tool to assess the bioavailability of metals at various defined experimental conditions.

The Caco-2 cell model offers the possibility to gain insight into molecular mechanisms implicated in the bioavailability of metals.

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