Cell feedings, accounting for a significant lead time between experiments, thus limiting the throughput. At the same time, the conventional 21-day Caco-2 monolayers are reported to develop unphysiologically tight junctions (TEER values ,300 V.cm2), compared to human small or large intestine in vitro (TEER 
,50?00 V.cm2) 13,14]. Concurrently, traditionalProtein Permeation across Caco-2 MonolayersCaco-2 cultures are performed with undefined animal serum, which accounts for a significant variability among results from different laboratories. Keeping the limitations of 21-day Caco-2 culture in mind, several groups have investigated the possibilities of developing a more rapid Caco-2 culture MedChemExpress Eledoisin mimicking the intestinal epithelial differentiation environment with (i) reduced serum requirements 15], or (ii) a serum-free 3-day short-term Caco-2 culture 13]. Both these systems have been tested for efficacy in providing reproducible permeability measurements. The 3-day Caco-2 system however: (i) provides physiologically relevant tight junctions (TEER ,50?00 V.cm2) 13], (ii) expresses similar levels of different metabolic enzymes such as brush border peptidase and alkaline phosphatase, and functional transporter (P-glycoprotein) activity 16], and (iii) is suitable 15900046 for increased throughput 17]. A variety of small molecules have been tested in 3-day cultures and compared with their 
evaluation in 21-day cultures 13,17]. The use of 3-day Caco-2 cultures for evaluating macromolecules, on the other hand, has been rarely reported. As mentioned earlier, therapeutic peptides are some of the most challenging molecules for developing oral formulations. However, there are large differences among the reported intestinal permeability values for therapeutic peptides, which make it difficult to predict the course of oral absorption of a specific peptide based on available data, which are reported to have negligible oral bioavailability. Here, we report on the use of serum-free 3-day Caco-2 cultures for assessing permeation of three therapeutic peptides: bovine insulin, salmon calcitonin and exenatide (exendin-4 analog).Transwell Assay System Set-upTranswell experiments were performed with slight modifications to the protocols provided by the manufacturer (BD Biosciences, Bedford, MA, USA). For the development of the transwell assay system for permeability experiments, Caco-2 cells were seeded onto fibrillar collagen coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) filter supports (1 mm pore size) of BD BiocoatTM HTS Caco-2 assay system (BD Biosciences, Bedford, MA, USA) according to manufacturer’s protocol with slight modifications. Briefly, Caco-2 cells were seeded onto the filter supports at a concentration of 200,000 cells/insert (6.66105 cells/cm2) using basal seeding medium (with MITO+ serum extender) provided in the HTS system, and were incubated in cell culture incubator (37uC, 5 CO2). Cells were fed from both sides using the Multiwell feeder tray. After 24 hrs, the feeding medium was replaced with MITO+ serum extender supplemented Entero-STIM medium, and growing monolayers were incubated as described earlier. Upon incubation for 48?2 hrs, Caco-2 cells developed a tight junction monolayer, integrity of which was MedChemExpress 223488-57-1 determined by TEER measurements. MITO + serum extender used in this study is lyophilized from a solution of Dulbecco’s Phosphate Buffered Saline 26001275 (DPBS) containing ECGS, EGF, insulin, human transferrin, triiodothyronine, progesterone, estradiol-17b, testostero.Cell feedings, accounting for a significant lead time between experiments, thus limiting the throughput. At the same time, the conventional 21-day Caco-2 monolayers are reported to develop unphysiologically tight junctions (TEER values ,300 V.cm2), compared to human small or large intestine in vitro (TEER ,50?00 V.cm2) 13,14]. Concurrently, traditionalProtein Permeation across Caco-2 MonolayersCaco-2 cultures are performed with undefined animal serum, which accounts for a significant variability among results from different laboratories. Keeping the limitations of 21-day Caco-2 culture in mind, several groups have investigated the possibilities of developing a more rapid Caco-2 culture mimicking the intestinal epithelial differentiation environment with (i) reduced serum requirements 15], or (ii) a serum-free 3-day short-term Caco-2 culture 13]. Both these systems have been tested for efficacy in providing reproducible permeability measurements. The 3-day Caco-2 system however: (i) provides physiologically relevant tight junctions (TEER ,50?00 V.cm2) 13], (ii) expresses similar levels of different metabolic enzymes such as brush border peptidase and alkaline phosphatase, and functional transporter (P-glycoprotein) activity 16], and (iii) is suitable 15900046 for increased throughput 17]. A variety of small molecules have been tested in 3-day cultures and compared with their evaluation in 21-day cultures 13,17]. The use of 3-day Caco-2 cultures for evaluating macromolecules, on the other hand, has been rarely reported. As mentioned earlier, therapeutic peptides are some of the most challenging molecules for developing oral formulations. However, there are large differences among the reported intestinal permeability values for therapeutic peptides, which make it difficult to predict the course of oral absorption of a specific peptide based on available data, which are reported to have negligible oral bioavailability. Here, we report on the use of serum-free 3-day Caco-2 cultures for assessing permeation of three therapeutic peptides: bovine insulin, salmon calcitonin and exenatide (exendin-4 analog).Transwell Assay System Set-upTranswell experiments were performed with slight modifications to the protocols provided by the manufacturer (BD Biosciences, Bedford, MA, USA). For the development of the transwell assay system for permeability experiments, Caco-2 cells were seeded onto fibrillar collagen coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) filter supports (1 mm pore size) of BD BiocoatTM HTS Caco-2 assay system (BD Biosciences, Bedford, MA, USA) according to manufacturer’s protocol with slight modifications. Briefly, Caco-2 cells were seeded onto the filter supports at a concentration of 200,000 cells/insert (6.66105 cells/cm2) using basal seeding medium (with MITO+ serum extender) provided in the HTS system, and were incubated in cell culture incubator (37uC, 5 CO2). Cells were fed from both sides using the Multiwell feeder tray. After 24 hrs, the feeding medium was replaced with MITO+ serum extender supplemented Entero-STIM medium, and growing monolayers were incubated as described earlier. Upon incubation for 48?2 hrs, Caco-2 cells developed a tight junction monolayer, integrity of which was determined by TEER measurements. MITO + serum extender used in this study is lyophilized from a solution of Dulbecco’s Phosphate Buffered Saline 26001275 (DPBS) containing ECGS, EGF, insulin, human transferrin, triiodothyronine, progesterone, estradiol-17b, testostero.