Biopta

Japan Site

Respiratory

Biopta is able to offer an extensive range of assays in fresh human lung tissue from healthy and diseased non-transplantable lungs or surgical residual lung tissues, providing the optimum model for research into a range of conditions such as COPD, asthma and cystic fibrosis.


Such living human tissues allow Biopta to investigate the effects of drugs on the human respiratory system in a number of ways including:
 
  • Bronchodilation/bronchoconstriction (some common drugs are shown below)
  • Ion channel function (and hence epithelial secretion)
  • Inflammatory responses
  • Epithelial drug absorption



Figure 1 shows the effects of drugs on isolated rings of human bronchi; such studies can be conducted in large conducting airways or small bronchi, providing information on responses throughout the bronchial tree.

Only human test systems truly reflect the human responses to drugs, even the most commonly used animal model of respiratory function, the guinea pig, fails to replicate all human responses (see table 1). Human airways and guinea pig airways respond similarly to histamine; however, the responses to acetylcholine are markedly different. Using human tissues avoid uncertainties in decision-making based on animal models.

Species

pD2 Acetylcholine

pD2 Histamine

Human

4.56

5.31 ± 0.27

Guinea-Pig

5.89

5.31 ± 0.72

Biopta is also able to investigate drug-induced changes in ion transport by means of the Ussing chamber method, which measures voltage and current across intact membranes, such as the tracheal mucosa. The apical or basolateral surface of the tissue can then be exposed to test drugs, with the resultant change in current (reflecting opening or closing of ion channels) or transepithelial resistance (TER) being measured. Figure 2 below shows the responses of human tracheal epithelium to the presence of increasing concentrations of the sodium channel blocker, amiloride.

 


Contact Biopta at info@biopta.com for further information on our range of tests in fresh, functional human tissues.