FIGURE 3.

Impact of peristalsis and endothelial cells on epithelial organization growth. (A) Growth of the Caco-2 epithelial cells cultured in the static Transwell system (Static) versus in the peristaltic microfluidic chip without (Peris) or with endothelial cells (HUVECs; Peris + EC) for 5 days. Schematics (left) showing the system layout; the confocal fluorescence views (center) showing the viability of the Caco2 cells (live cells in green, dead in red) and the distribution of the tight junction protein – occludin in the epithelial monolayers (nuclei in blue, occludin in green); and the laser confocal scanning views (right) showing a vertical cross section of the epithelium highlighting cell shape (bar, 50 μm). Statistical analysis of the viability (B) and the height (C) of intestinal epithelial cell cultured in the static Transwell system or in the peristaltic microfluidic chip without or with endothelial cell for 5 days (n = 3; **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.05).