Objective: To determine the active process on dipeptide transport with proton-and energy-dependence in Caco-2 cells.Methods: A human intestinal cell monolayer(Caco-2) was used as the in vitro model of human small intestine and cephalexin as the model substrate for dipeptide transporter(PepT1).Caco-2 cells grown on multiwell dishes(24 wells) and Transwell membrane filters were incubated in the culture medium. The transport and uptake experiments of cephalexin across apical membranes were then conducted with different temperature and different pH values.Uptake of cephalexin in Caco-2 cells gsown on multiple well dishes with addition of energy inhibitors(sodium azide,SA and 2,4-dinitrophenol,DNP) were then measured. Results: The accumulation of cephalexin into Caco-2 monolayers increased with the duration of culture.The uptake from the apical surface was markedly influenced by the pH of the apical medium,and the maximal uptake was achieved at pH 5.5;further acidification of the incubation medium may decrease transport of cephalexin despite an increase inward H+ gradient.Cephalexin uptake was linear over the concentration range when the cells were incubated at 4℃ while the uptake rate was enhanced and tended to be saturated as the cephalexin concentration increased when the cells were incubated at 37℃.The kinetic parameters for the cephalexin transport carrier were determined to be: Vmax of(22.173±1.9) nmol/min per mg protein,Km of(2.069±0.9)mol/L,the Kd was estimated to be(0.07±0.02) nmol/min per mg protein per mmol/L.Uptake of cephalexin was markedly inhibited by sodium azide(SA) and 2,4-dinitrophenol(DNP). Conclusion: Cephalexin was transported actively across Caco-2 cells,and the transport process was proton-and energy-dependent.In addition, Caco-2 cells taked up cephalexin by dipeptide transporters that closely resembled the transporters present in the intestine.Caco-2 cells represented an ideal cellular model for future studies of the dipeptide transporter.
SUN Bing-weiSHI LeiCHEN XiCHEN Zhao-yongTAI Ning-zhengZHAO Xiao-chenLI Ning
