Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to use primary cultured rat alveolar epithelial cell monolayers to examine the potential of using transferrin receptor (TfR)-mediated transcytosis for noninvasive systemic protein drug delivery via the pulmonary route.
Methods. Freshly isolated rat type II pneumocytes were plated onto tissue culture-treated polycarbonate 12-mm Transwells. AEC monolayers (∖G 2500 Ωcm2) were treated with keratinocyte growth factor (10 ng/mL) for maintenance of type II cell-like characteristics. Filgrastim (GCSF)-Tf conjugates were prepared using the linkers SPDP and DPDPB. TfR-specific binding and uptake were determined using 125I-Tf and 59Fe-Tf treatment, respectively. Apical-to-basolateral (A-to-B) transferrin receptor (TfR)-mediated transcytosis was determined by dosing the apical compartment with 1.5 μg/mL of 125I-Tf or 125I-GCSF-Tf. Nonspecific TfR-independent transport of 125I-Tf and 125I-GCSF-Tf was determined in parallel by including 150 μg/mL of nonradiolabeled Tf. Basolateral samples (500 μL) were taken at 2, 4, and 6 h post-dosing, subjected to 15% trichloroacetic acid precipitation, and assayed in a Packard gamma counter. TfR-specific transport was determined as the difference between total and nonspecifc transport. The effects of brefeldin-A (BFA) on TfR distribution and (A-to-B) transport of 125I-Tf, 125I-GCSF and 125I-GCSF-Tf was studied by including the agent in the apical fluid at 1 μg/mL.
Results. BFA treatment resulted in a small significant reduction in TfR at the basolateral surface of type II cell-like monolayers, while it had no effect on TfR distribution in type I cell-like monolayers. In contrast, BFA treatment significantly altered the endocytosis of TfR, reducing the basolateral uptake of 59Fe-Tf while greatly increasing the apical uptake of 59Fe-Tf. BFA treatment, however, did not affect the TfR-specific uptake of 59Fe-Tf in type I cell-like monolayers. TfR-specific apical-to-basolateral transcytosis of 125I-Tf and 126I-GCSF-Tf conjugates was significantly enhanced in the presence of BFA in type II cell-like monolayers, whereas it had no effect on apical-to-basolateral transport of 125I-GCSF. BFA-enhanced transport of 125I-GCSF-Tf was approximately 3-fold higher than that of 125I-GCSF in the presence or absence of BFA. Moreover, 125I-GCSF transport in the presence of BFA was not significantly different from non-specific 125I-GCSF-Tf transport. Chromatographic analyses and bio-assays revealed that GCSF-Tf was not degraded during transport via TfR-specific processes, and that GCSF retained biologic activity when liberated from the conjugate via dithiothreitol reduction.
Conclusion. This study suggests the possibility of using TfR-mediated transcytosis for systemic delivery of therapeutic proteins via the alveolar epithelium.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
K. L. Azari and R. E. Feeney. Resistance of metal complexes of conalbumin and transferrin to proteolysis and thermal denaturation. J. Biol. Chem. 232:293-302 (1958).
D. Banerjee, P. R. Flanagan, J. Cluett, and L. S. Valberg. Transferrin receptors in the human gastrointestinal tract. Relationship to body iron stores. Gastroenterology 91:861-869 (1986).
R. R. Crichton. Proteins of iron storage and transport. Adv. Protein Chem. 40:281-363 (1990).
J. M. Cheek, M. J. Evans, and E. D. Crandall. Type I cell-like morphology in tight alveolar epithelial monolayers. Exp. Cell Res. 184:375-387 (1989).
L. G. Dobbs, M. C. Williams, and R. Gonzalez. Monoclonal antibodies specific to apical surfaces of rat alveolar type I cells bind to surfaces of cultured, but not freshly isolated, type II cells. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 970:146-156 (1988).
J. M. Shannon, S. D. Jennings, and L. D. Nielsen. Modulation of alveolar type II cell differentiated function in vitro. Am. J. Physiol. 262:L427-L436 (1992).
S. I. Danto, J. M. Shannon, Z. Borok, S. M. Zabski, and E. D. Crandall. Reversible transdifferentiation of alveolar epithelial cells. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 12:497-502 (1995).
H. O'Brodovich, C. Canessa, J. Ueda, B. Rafii, and B. C. Rossier. and J. Edelson. Expression of the epithelial Na+ channel in the developing rat lung. Am. J. Physiol. 265:C491-C496 (1993).
K. Matsushita, P. B. McCrayJr., R. D. Sigmund, M. J. Welsh, and J. B. Stokes. Localization of epithelial sodium channel subunit mRNAs in adult rat lung by in situ hybridization. Am. J. Physiol. 271:L332-L339 (1996).
Z. Borok, J. M. Liebler, R. L. Lubman, M. J. Foster, B. Zhou, X. Li, S. M. Zabski, K. J. Kim, and E. D. Crandall. Na transport proteins are expressed by rat alveolar epithelial type I cells. Am. J. Physiol. 282:L599-NL608 (2002).
Z. Borok, R. L. Lubman, S. I. Danto, X. L. Zhang, S. M. Zabski, L. S. King, D. M. Lee, P. Agre, and E. D. Crandall. Keratinocyte growth factor modulates alveolar epithelial cell phenotype in vitro: expression of aquaporin 5. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 18:554-561 (1998).
Z. Borok, S. I. Danto, R. L. Lubman, Y. Cao, M. C. Williams, and E. D. Crandall. Modulation of t1alpha expression with alveolar epithelial cell phenotype in vitro. Am. J. Physiol. 275:L155-L164 (1998).
B. E. Isakson, R. L. Lubman, G. J. Seedorf, and S. Boitano. Modulation of pulmonary alveolar type II cell phenotype and communication by extracellular matrix and KGF. Am. J. Physiol. 281:C1291-C1299 (2001).
K. Sugahara, J. S. Rubin, R. J. Mason, E. L. Aronsen, and J. M. Shannon. Keratinocyte growth factor increases mRNAs for SP-A and SP-B in adult rat alveolar type II cells in culture. Am. J. Physiol. 269:L344-L350 (1995).
A. Widera, K. Beloussow, K. J. Kim, E. D. Crandall, and W. C. Shen. Phenotype-dependent synthesis of transferrin receptor in rat alveolar epithelial cell monolayers. Cell Tissue Res. in press (2003).
Z. Borok, S. I. Danto, S. M. Zabski, and E. D. Crandall. Defined medium for primary culture de novo of adult rat alveolar epithelial cells. In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. Anim. 30A:99-104 (1994).
J. R. Rudolph, E. Regoeczi, P. A. Chindemi, and M. T. Debanne. Preferential hepatic uptake of iron from rat asialotransferrin: possible engagement of two receptors. Am. J. Physiol. 251:G398-G404 (1986).
P. J. Wauben-Penris, G. J. Strous, and H. A. van der Donk. Transferrin receptors of isolated rat seminiferous tubules bind both rat and human transferrin. Biol. Reprod. 35:1227-1234 (1986).
S. Sonoda and M. Schlamowitz. Studies of 125I trace labeling of immunoglobulin G by chloramine-T. Immunochemistry 7:885-898 (1970).
L. M. Timchak, F. Kruse, M. H. Marnell, and R. K. Draper. A thermosensitive lesion in a Chinese hamster cell mutant causing differential effects on the acidification of endosomes and lysosomes. J. Biol. Chem. 261:14154-14159 (1986).
N. Shirafuji, S. Asano, S. Matsuda, K. Watari, F. Takaku, and S. Nagata. A new bioassay for human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (hG-CSF) using murine myeloblastic NFS-60 cells as targets and estimation of its levels in sera from normal healthy persons and patients with infectious and hematological disorders. Exp. Hematol. 17:116-119 (1989).
T. Mosmann. Rapid colorimetric assay for cellular growth and survival: application to proliferation and cytotoxicity assays. J. Immunol. Methods 65:55-63 (1983).
J. Wan, M. E. Taub, D. Shah, and W. C. Shen. Brefeldin A enhances receptor-mediated transcytosis of transferrin in filter-grown Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. J. Biol. Chem. 267:13446-13450 (1992).
D. Shah and W. C. Shen. Transcellular delivery of an insulin-transferrin conjugate in enterocyte-like Caco-2 cells. J. Pharm. Sci. 85:1306-1311 (1996).
C. Q. Xia and W. C. Shen. Tyrphostin-8 enhances transferrin receptor-mediated transcytosis in Caco-2-cells and increases hypoglycemic effect of orally administered insulin-transferrin conjugate in diabetic rats. Pharm. Res. 18:191-195 (2001).
T. Fujiwara, K. Oda, S. Yokota, A. Takatsuki, and Y. Ikehara. Brefeldin A causes disassembly of the Golgi complex and accumulation of secretory proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. J. Biol. Chem. 263:18545-18552 (1988).
J. B. Ulmer and G. E. Palade. Targeting and processing of glycophorins in murine erythroleukemia cells: use of brefeldin A as a perturbant of intracellular traffic. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:6992-6996 (1989).
J. B. Ulmer and G. E. Palade. Effects of brefeldin A on the processing of viral envelope glycoproteins in murine erythroleukemia cells. J. Biol. Chem. 266:9173-9179 (1991).
D. Deshpande, D. Toledo-Velasquez, L. Y. Wang, C. J. Malanga, J. K. Ma, and Y. Rojanasakul. Receptor-mediated peptide delivery in pulmonary epithelial monolayers. Pharm. Res. 11:1121-1126 (1994).
C. Q. Xia, J. Wang, and W. C. Shen. Hypoglycemic effect of insulin-transferrin conjugate in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 295:594-600 (2000).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Widera, A., Kim, KJ.J., Crandall, E.D. et al. Transcytosis of GCSF-Transferrin Across Rat Alveolar Epithelial Cell Monolayers. Pharm Res 20, 1231–1238 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025005232421
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025005232421