This paper describes the establishing of a primary explantation culture of normal human bronchial epithelial cells as a model of the epithelial tissue of the bronchial tree. The bronchoepithelial originarity of the explanted cells was proved using three different methods: electron microscopic investigation, immunohistochemistry and in westernblot analyis. The purity of cultured normal human bronchial epithelial cells >95% was demonstrated. Therefore, the interpretation of the data for the bronchial epithelial cells is ensured. While detecting metabolizing enzymes a downregulation of CYP2E1-protein in cell culture was registrated. Interindividual differences were proved in the mRNA-expression of CYP2E1 and other isoforms. A CYP2E1-stabilisation was reached through induction with ethanol. This was demonstrated by the CYP2E1-specific change of CLX into 6-OH-CLX, in the chlorzoxazon assay. The suitability of the used cell model for genotoxical investigations was proved by demonstration of the concentration-to-effect-relationship in the comet assay after incubation of bronchial epithelial cells with the complex mixture. |