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. 2001 Jan;35(1):73–79. doi: 10.1023/A:1008136103927

The changes in the neuronal PC12 and the intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells during the coculture. The functional analysis using an in vitro coculture system

Hideo Satsu 1, Tatsuya Yokoyama 1, Nobumasa Ogawa 1, Yoko Fujiwara-Hatano 1, Makoto Shimizu 2,✉
PMCID: PMC3466622  PMID: 19003283

Abstract

The interaction between intestinal epithelial cells andperipheral neuronal cells were examined using an invitro coculture system. Two cell lines, Caco-2 and PC12, were usedfor this experiment as an intestinal epithelial and entericneuronal cell model, respectively. By coculturing with fullydifferentiated Caco-2 cells, the neurite outgrowth was inducedin PC12 cells. This neurite outgrowth in PC12 was blocked byanti-nerve growth factor (NGF) polyclonal antibodies,suggesting that the neurite outgrowth in PC12 during thecoculture with Caco-2 cells was due to NGF secreted fromCaco-2 cells. On the other hand, coculturing with fullydifferentiated PC12 cells induced the decrease oftransepithelial electrical resistance in Caco-2 cellmonolayers. The permeability of lucifer yellow alsosignificantly increased, suggesting that the barrier functionand paracellular permeability of Caco-2 monolayers werealtered by coculturing with PC12 cells. The present studysuggests that this in vitro coculture system is a good modelfor the functional analysis of interaction among intestinalepithelial cells with different cell types.

Keywords: Caco-2, coculture, nerve growth factor, PC12, tight junction

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