Functional evaluation of metaplastic human oesophageal epithelial cells

Introduction: Oesophageal epithelial cells (OEC) are exposed to gastric and/or bile acids during gastroesophageal reflux disease. Therefore, acid-extruding mechanisms through ion transporters may play an important role in the protection against acid injury. The aim of this study was to characterize the ion transport processes of the human CRL-4027 OEC which were derived from a region of non-dysplastic metaplasia of Barrett's esophagus. Methods: OEC were grown to confluent monolayers and loaded with the fluorescent dye, 2'7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein, to monitor changes in intracellular pH (pHi).…