Equine bronchial fibroblasts enhance proliferation and differentiation of primary equine bronchial epithelial cells co-cultured under air-liquid interface.
Authors: Abs Vanessa, Bonicelli Jana, Kacza Johannes, Zizzadoro Claudia, Abraham Getu
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary Epithelial-fibroblast cross-talk fundamentally shapes airway remodelling and repair, particularly in asthmatic airways, yet this cellular dialogue has been poorly characterised in equine models until now. Vanessa and colleagues developed a co-culture system combining primary equine bronchial epithelial cells (EBECs) with bronchial fibroblasts under air-liquid interface conditions—a physiologically relevant approach that permits the epithelial cells to differentiate whilst maintaining paracrine signalling with the underlying fibroblasts. After 15–20 days, co-cultured epithelial monolayers developed pseudo-stratified architecture with ciliated cells, properly localised tight junction proteins (TJP1), and functional barrier properties measured by transepithelial electrical resistance and drug transport assays. Critically, epithelial behaviour in co-culture—including adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation rates—differed notably from monoculture systems, demonstrating that fibroblast-derived signals genuinely enhance epithelial development. This model provides equine professionals and researchers with a valuable tool for investigating airway epithelial-mesenchymal interactions relevant to equine asthma and other chronic airway diseases, bridging the gap between in vitro experiments and clinical understanding of why certain therapeutic interventions succeed or fail in managing respiratory disease.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •This in vitro model provides a more physiologically relevant system for studying equine asthma mechanisms compared to monoculture, potentially improving understanding of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in airway disease
- •The established co-culture system may enable better preclinical testing of asthma therapeutics and investigation of how structural remodelling occurs in chronically inflamed equine airways
Key Findings
- •Co-cultured primary equine bronchial epithelial cells (EBECs) and fibroblasts developed pseudo-stratified architecture with ciliated cells and intact tight junction protein 1 expression after 15-20 days under air-liquid interface conditions
- •Fibroblast co-culture enhanced EBEC proliferation and differentiation compared to monoculture, demonstrating paracrine signalling between epithelial and mesenchymal cells
- •Co-cultured EBEC monolayers exhibited functional selective barrier properties measured by transepithelial electrical resistance and drug transport capacity