Characterizing A549 Cell Line as an Epithelial Cell Monolayer Model for Pharmacokinetic Applications

Transport of three different molecules across a porous membrane, with and without a confluent A549 cell monolayer, has been investigated in Transwells and microfluidic devices. The A549 cell line was selected since it has extensively been utilized in toxicology studies due to its potential target for drug delivery of macro molecules. The measured molecular transport rate was found to decrease with increasing molecular size due to lower diffusivity. The confluent cell monolayer presents a barrier to molecular, significantly reducing the transport rate of larger molecules with little effect on the paracellular transport of smaller molecules. The results indicate that the microfluidic system is a good model for pharmacokinetic applications.