Abstract

This data set contains results related to the characterization of an appropriate in vitro model based on human mammary epithelial cells (hMECs). The objective of the research was to verify the accuracy of hMECs as solid translational model for the study of mammary epithelial barrier. The results showed the characterization (morphological data; epithelial markers Epithelial-Cadherin (E-Cad) and Cytokeratin 18 (CK18); gene expression of drugs transporters and doubling Time (DT)), maintaining of hMEC primary culture. The hMECs maintained until P6 showed a typical cobblestone morphology and doubling time data showed a mean value of 36.6 ± 3.25 hours (see data file CONCEPTION_WP3_hMECs_DoublingTime_20240723.csv). The hMEC expressed epithelial markers Epithelial-Cadherin (E-Cad) and Cytokeratin 18 (CK18), confirming their epithelial origin (see data file CONCEPTION_WP3_hMECs_FlowCytometer_20240723.csv). In addition we analyze the gene expression of 84 drugs transporters (by using a commercial kit, RT2) and the Ct value was reported in CONCEPTION_WP3_hMECs_RT2ARRAY_20240723.xlsx) The transcriptional profile of drug transporters showed a differential level of gene expression ranging from ΔCt values (Ct mean reference genes – Ct interest gene) very negative (lower expression) to ΔCt values less negative (higher expression). Only 3 were not detectable (SLC22A9, SCCO1B3 and SLCO1B3). Collectively, the results show that primary culture of hMECs express epithelial cell markers and tight junctions molecule and express the main drug transporters, suggesting that it will be used to study epithelial barrier functions.