Scientific Publications
Comparison between single cell cultures and tissue cultures as model systems for evaluating the modulation of gene expression for food bioactives.
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 64, 194-201
Background: The onset of the atherosclerotic plaque is the starting event of many cardiovascular diseases, which represent one of the main causes of death in developed country. A role in the prevention of plaque formation and growth has been hypothesized for some dietary components such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and tea catechins via the regulation of the expression of genes related to cholesterol metabolism and trafficking The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of cultured human abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) tissue to investigate the vascular effects of bioactive compounds, and to compare it to a single cell model system.Methods: AAA tissue obtained during elective open surgery was cultured and was viable. Cultured tissue was treated with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids or epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which possess anti-hypercholesterolemic and anti-inflammatory activities. The expression of 5 genes involved in cholesterol metabolism and trafficking was assessed using q-PCR. In parallel experiments, the ability of these bioactives to modulate gene expression was also evaluated in HepG2 cells.Results: All bioactives modulated gene expression in HepG2 cells, while no effects were observed in the tisuue culture. The lack of any effect appeared to be not related to the different cell type (liver and vascular), but to the shortcomings of the tissue model. In fact, AAA tissue cultures showed huge within-patient variation, as well as high between patients variation in gene expression of untreated tissue (18-, 5-, 185-, 198-, and 317-fold for Srebp1, Srebp2, Ldlr, Acat2 and Hmgcr, respectively; n=4 patients).Conclusion: Although cultured tissue models are more physiologically representative than single cell culture models, results herein reported underline the need of checking basal gene expression level when utilising tissue cultures for evaluating the effects of bioactives on transcription.
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 64, 194-201
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