5-ALA treatment increases intracellular heme levels and enhances CYP3A4 activity in genome-edited Caco-2 cells.

In nonclinical studies, models that can predict the metabolism of drug candidates by cytochrome P450 (CYP), including Cytochrome P450 family 3 subfamily A member 4 (CYP3A4) are helpful. CYP3A4-overexpressing human cells have been used universally to evaluate whether CYP3A4 metabolizes drug-candidate compounds. However, CYP3A4-overexpressing human cell lines are problematic because their activity levels are lower than that of in vivo human CYP3A4. Heme plays a paramount role in CYP activity. The rate-limiting step in heme biosynthesis is the generation of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). In this study, we examined whether treatment with 5-ALA to CYP3A4-POR-UGT1A1-CES2 knockin and CES1 knockout (genome-edited) Caco-2 cells enhances CYP3A4 activity. A 7-day 5-ALA treatment increased intracellular heme levels in genome-edited Caco-2 cells without cytotoxicity. Moreover, consistent with the increase in intracellular heme content, 5-ALA treatment increased CYP3A4 activity in genome-edited Caco-2 cells. The results of this research are expected to be applied to pharmacokinetic studies using CYP-overexpressing human cells containing CYP3A4.

Corneal epithelium models for safety assessment in drug development: Present and future directions.

The human corneal epithelial barrier plays a crucial role in drug testing studies, including drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME), as well as toxicity testing during the preclinical stages of drug development. However, despite the valuable insights gained from animal and current in vitro models, there remains a significant discrepancy between preclinical drug predictions and actual clinical outcomes. Additionally, there is a growing emphasis on adhering to the 3R principles (refine, reduce, replace) to minimize the use of animals in testing. To tackle these challenges, there is a rising demand for alternative in vitro models that closely mimic the human corneal epithelium. Recently, remarkable advancements have been made in two key areas: microphysiological systems (MPS) or organs-on-chips (OoCs), and stem cell-derived organoids. These cutting-edge platforms integrate four major disciplines: stem cells, microfluidics, bioprinting, and biosensing technologies. This integration holds great promise in developing powerful and biomimetic models of the human cornea.

Prediction of Oral Drug Absorption in Rats from In Vitro Data.

PURPOSE: In drug discovery, rats are widely used for pharmacological and toxicological studies. We previously reported that a mechanism-based oral absorption model, the gastrointestinal unified theoretical framework (GUT framework), can appropriately predict the fraction of a dose absorbed (Fa) in humans and dogs. However, there are large species differences between humans and rats. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the predictability of the GUT framework for rat Fa. METHOD: The Fa values of 20 model drugs (a total of 39 Fa data) were predicted in a bottom-up manner. Based on the literature survey, the bile acid concentration (Cbile) and the intestinal fluid volume were set to 15 mM and 4 mL/kg, respectively, five and two times higher than in humans. LogP, pKa, molecular weight, intrinsic solubility, bile micelle partition coefficients, and Caco-2 permeability were used as input data. RESULTS: The Fa values were appropriately predicted for highly soluble drugs (absolute average fold error (AAFE) = 1.65, 18 Fa data) and poorly soluble drugs (AAFE = 1.57, 21 Fa data). When the species difference in Cbile was ignored, Fa was over- and under-predicted for permeability and solubility limited cases, respectively. High Cbile in rats reduces the free fraction of drug molecules available for epithelial membrane permeation while increasing the solubility of poorly soluble drugs. CONCLUSION: The Fa values in rats were appropriately predicted by the GUT framework. This result would be of great help for a better understanding of species differences and model-informed preclinical formulation development.

Developing a Novel Method for the Analysis of Spinal Cord-Penile Neurotransmission Mechanisms.

Sexual dysfunction can be caused by impaired neurotransmission from the peripheral to the central nervous system. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the input of sensory information from the peripheral genital area and investigate the control mechanisms in the spinal cord to clarify the pathological basis of sensory abnormalities in the genital area. However, an in vivo evaluation system for the spinal cord-penile neurotransmission mechanism has not yet been developed. Here, urethane-anesthetized rats were used to evaluate neuronal firing induced by innocuous or nociceptive stimulation of the penis using extracellular recording or patch-clamp techniques in the lumbosacral spinal dorsal horn and electrophysiological evaluation in the peripheral pelvic nerves. As a result, innocuous and nociceptive stimuli-evoked neuronal firing was successfully recorded in the deep and superficial spinal dorsal horns, respectively. The innocuous stimuli-evoked nerve firing was also recorded in the pelvic nerve. These firings were suppressed by lidocaine. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a successful quantitative evaluation of penile stimuli-evoked neuronal firing. This method is not only useful for analyzing the pathological basis of spinal cord-penile neurotransmission in sexual dysfunction but also provides a useful evaluation system in the search for new treatments.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote IL-6 Secretion and Suppress the Gene Expression of Proinflammatory Cytokines in Contractile C2C12 Myotubes.

Sarcopenia is not only a major cause of disability but also a risk factor for obesity and diabetes in elderly persons. Exercise is an effective method for improving the sarcopenic condition by inducing the secretion of interleukin (IL)-6, which has the capacities to both promote muscle hypertrophy and regulate lipid metabolism and glucose homeostasis, by skeletal muscle. We previously showed that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) promote IL-6 secretion by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle myotubes via paracrine mechanisms. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of paracrine actions of MSCs on IL-6 and proinflammatory cytokine expression in contractile C2C12 myotubes by applying electrical stimulation. IL-6 secretion by C2C12 myotubes was increased by electrical stimulation, and a more significant increase in IL-6 secretion was observed in electrically stimulated C2C12 myotubes cultured in conditioned medium from MSCs. The activation of nuclear factor-κB in C2C12 myotubes was also promoted by the combination of conditioned medium from MSCs and electrical stimulation. Moreover, the increases in tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-1ß mRNA expression in C2C12 myotubes induced by electrical stimulation were suppressed by culture in conditioned medium from MSCs. The present findings suggest that MSCs transplantation or injection of their extracellular vesicles improve the therapeutic effect of exercise against sarcopenia without exacerbating inflammation.

Generation of Caco-2 cells stably expressing CYP3A4·POR·UGT1A1 and CYP3A4·POR·UGT1A1*6 using a PITCh system.

The small intestine plays a critical role in the absorption and metabolism of orally administered drugs. Therefore, a model capable of evaluating drug absorption and metabolism in the small intestine would be useful for drug discovery. Patients with genotype UGT1A1*6 (exon 1, 211G > A) treated with the antineoplastic drug SN-38 have been reported to exhibit decreased glucuronide conjugation and increased incidence of intestinal toxicity and its severe side effects, including severe diarrhea. To ensure the safety of drugs, we must develop a drug metabolism and toxicity evaluation model which considers UGT1A1*6. In this study, we generated CYP3A4·POR·UGT1A1 KI- and CYP3A4·POR·UGT1A1*6 KI-Caco-2 cells for pharmaceutical research using a PITCh system. The CYP3A4·POR·UGT1A1 KI-Caco-2 cells were shown to express functional CYP3A4 and UGT1A1. The CYP3A4·POR·UGT1A1*6 KI-Caco-2 cells were sensitive to SN-38-induced intestinal toxicity. We thus succeeded in generating CYP3A4·POR·UGT1A1 KI- and CYP3A4·POR·UGT1A1*6 KI-Caco-2 cells, which can be used in pharmaceutical research. We also developed an intestinal epithelial cell model of patients with UGT1A1*6 and showed that it was useful as a tool for drug discovery.

Involvement of Histamine H3 Receptor Agonism in Premature Ejaculation Found by Studies in Rats.

Several of the drugs currently available for the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE) (e.g., local anesthetics or antidepressants) are associated with numerous safety concerns and exhibit weak efficacy. To date, no therapeutics for PE have been approved in the United States, highlighting the need to develop novel agents with sufficient efficacy and fewer side effects. In this study, we focused on the histamine H3 receptor (H3R) as a potential target for the treatment of PE and evaluated the effects of imetit (an H3R/H4R agonist), ciproxifan (an H3R antagonist), and JNJ-7777120 (an H4R antagonist) in vivo. Our in vivo electrophysiological experiments revealed that imetit reduced mechanical stimuli-evoked neuronal firing in anesthetized rats. This effect was inhibited by ciproxifan but not by JNJ-7777120. Subsequently, we evaluated the effect of imetit using a copulatory behavior test to assess ejaculation latency (EL) in rats. Imetit prolonged EL, although this effect was inhibited by ciproxifan. These findings indicate that H3R stimulation suppresses mechanical stimuli-evoked neuronal firing in the spinal-penile neurotransmission system, thereby resulting in prolonged EL. To our knowledge, this is the first report to describe the relationship between H3R and PE. Thus, H3R agonists may represent a novel treatment option for PE.

Transport characteristics of 5-aminosalicylic acid into colonic epithelium: Involvement of sodium-coupled monocarboxylate transporter SMCT1-mediated transport system.

5-Aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) is conventionally used as a first line drug for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Because 5-ASA is well absorbed in the small intestine, very high dose of 5-ASA is required to deliver it to the large intestine which is a target site. Interestingly, 5-ASA is reported to be transported into the large intestine as well as the small intestine via unknown transport system. In a heterologous expression system using Xenopus oocytes, sodium-coupled monocarboxylate transporter 1 (SMCT1) has been reported to accept 5-ASA as a substrate. Although SMCT1 is found to be expressed in the large intestine, it is unknown whether SMCT1 is responsible for 5-ASA absorption from the large intestine or not. Here we determined the transport characteristics of 5-ASA in the isolated everted sac prepared from mouse large intestine. Na+-dependent uptake of [3H]nicotinate, a substrate for SMCT1, in mouse colon was competitively inhibited by 5-ASA with IC50 value of 2.8 mM. In addition to nicotinate, 5-ASA uptake in mouse colonic mucosa was Na+-dependent and saturable with Michaelis constant (Km) of 2.4 mM. Na+-activation kinetics revealed that the Na+-to-5-ASA stoichiometry was 2:1 and concentration of Na+ necessary for half-maximal transport (K0.5Na) was 36.1 mM. Na+-dependent 5-ASA uptake was competitively inhibited by nicotinate with an inhibitory constant (Ki) of 2.1 mM was comparable to the Km value of Na+-dependent nicotinate uptake (0.99 mM). Furthermore, ibuprofen, a selective SMCT1 inhibitor, was found to have a significantly inhibitory effect on the Na+-dependent 5-ASA uptake in mouse colon (IC50 = 0.19 mM). Taken collectively, these results indicated that SMCT1 in the mouse colonic mucosa is responsible for Na+-dependent 5-ASA uptake.

The Impact of Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP/ABCG2) on Drug Transport Across Caco-2 Cell Monolayers.

Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) is expressed on the apical membrane of small intestinal epithelial cells and functions as an efflux pump with broad substrate recognition. Therefore, quantitative evaluation of the contribution of BCRP to the intestinal permeability of new chemical entities is very important in drug research and development. In this study, we assessed the BCRP-mediated efflux of several model drugs in Caco-2 cells using WK-X-34 as a dual inhibitor of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and BCRP and LY335979 as a selective inhibitor of P-gp. The permeability of daidzein was high with an apparent permeability coefficient for apical-to-basal transport (P AB) of 20.3 × 10-6 cm/s. In addition, its efflux ratio (ER) was 1.55, indicating that the contribution of BCRP to its transport is minimal. Estrone-3-sulfate and ciprofloxacin showed relatively higher ER values (>2.0), whereas their BCRP-related absorptive quotient (AQ BCRP) was 0.21 and 0.3, respectively. These results indicate that BCRP does not play a major role in regulating the permeability of estrone-3-sulfate and ciprofloxacin in Caco-2 cells. Nitrofurantoin showed a P AB of 1.8 × 10-6 cm/s, and its ER was 7.6. However, the AQ BCRP was 0.37, suggesting minimal contribution of BCRP to nitrofurantoin transport in Caco-2 cells. In contrast, topotecan, SN-38, and sulfasalazine had low P AB values (0.81, 1.13, and 0.19 × 10-6 cm/s, respectively), and each AQ BCRP was above 0.6, indicating that BCRP significantly contributes to the transport of these compounds in Caco-2 cells. In conclusion, Caco-2 cells are useful to accurately estimate the contribution of BCRP to intestinal drug absorption. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: We performed an in vitro assessment of the contribution of breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) to the transport of BCRP and/or P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrates across Caco-2 cell monolayers using absorptive quotient, which has been proposed to represent the contribution of drug efflux transporters to the net efflux. The present study demonstrates that the combined use of a BCRP/P-gp dual inhibitor and a P-gp selective inhibitor is useful to estimate the impact of BCRP and P-gp on the permeability of tested compounds in Caco-2 cells.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alter the Inflammatory Response of C2C12 Mouse Skeletal Muscle Cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are capable of repairing skeletal muscle via paracrine mechanisms. This regenerative effect of MSCs on skeletal muscle is based on promoting the proliferation and differentiation of myogenic cells and inhibiting the inflammatory response of immune cells. However, it is unclear whether MSCs affect the inflammatory response of skeletal muscle cells. In this study, we evaluated the paracrine effect of mouse MSCs on the inflammatory response of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated C2C12 mouse myoblasts. Interleukin (IL)-6 production from LPS-stimulated C2C12 cells was significantly increased by coculture with MSCs or culture in conditioned medium of MSCs. This increased IL-6 production from C2C12 cells was not significantly suppressed by inhibiting mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, but it was significantly suppressed by pretreatment with nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) inhibitors. In addition, IL-6 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression was increased significantly in C2C12 cells cocultured with MSCs, while tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-1ß mRNA expression was decreased. Furthermore, conditioned medium of C2C12 cells cocultured with MSCs exerted remarkable anti-inflammatory effects on LPS-stimulated mouse macrophages.

Transport Characteristics of 5-Aminosalicylic Acid Derivatives Conjugated with Amino Acids via Human H+-Coupled Oligopeptide Transporter PEPT1.

5-Aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) is used as first line therapy for symptom remission and maintenance of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Because 5-ASA is well absorbed from the small intestine when orally administered, several 5-ASA formulations for selective delivery to the colon have been developed and used in clinical practice. However, its delivery efficiency to local inflamed colonic sites remains low. Intestinal H+-coupled oligopeptide transporter 1 (PEPT1) expression in the colon is low, whereas its expression is induced in the colon under chronic inflammation conditions, such as IBD. Therefore, we considered that PEPT1 would be a target transporter to improve 5-ASA delivery efficiency to local colonic lesions. We evaluated the transport characteristics of dipeptide-like 5-ASA derivatives, which were coupling glycine (Gly), lysine, glutamic acid (Glu), valine (Val) and tyrosine to amino or carboxyl group of 5-ASA, in Caco-2 cells. [3H]Glycylsarcosine (Gly-Sar) uptake into Caco-2 cells was inhibited by all 5-ASA derivatives. In addition, 5-ASA derivatives (Gly-ASA, Glu-ASA and Val-ASA), which were coupled by glycine, glutamic acid and valine to amino group of 5-ASA, were taken up in a pH- and concentration-dependent manner and their uptake was inhibited by excess Gly-Sar. Two-electrode voltage-clamp experiment using human PEPT1 expressing Xenopus oocytes showed that Gly-ASA, Glu-ASA and Val-ASA induced marked currents at pH 6.0. Taken together, these results showed that these 5-ASA derivatives are transportable substrates for PEPT1.

[Costochondritis and Osteomyelitis of the Ribs after Intercostal Thoracotomy].

A 53-year-old man underwent surgical repair and drainage of a spontaneous esophageal rupture through a left anterolateral intercostal thoracotomy. Thereafter, wound infection persisted for 3 years with formation of cutaneous fistulae and granulation tissue. Chest computed tomography revealed osteolysis, swollen ribs and costal cartilage, and cutaneous fistulous tracts. Bone scintigraphy with 99mTechnetium revealed abnormal accumulation in the ribs and costal cartilage, indicating costochondritis and osteomyelitis of ribs with cutaneous fistulae. Surgical resection of the skin including the cutaneous fistulae, infected ribs and costal cartilage were performed successfully.

The effects of a nutritional supplement containing salacinol in neonatal Thoroughbred foals.

A nutritional supplement containing salacinol (NSS) was administered to Thoroughbred foals daily beginning 21 days after birth, and clinical signs and intestinal microbiota were analyzed. The average number of days for which foals exhibited a fever between 21 and 110 days after birth was determined. The number of days was significantly reduced, by approximately 1/3, in the NSS group compared with the control group. Furthermore, improved weight gain was observed in the NSS group compared with the control group. By analyzing the intestinal microbiota, it was determined that the ratio of Clostridium cluster XIVa increased after 3 weeks of NSS administration. These results demonstrate that the daily administration of NSS might improve the intestinal environment of neonatal foals and be useful for health.

An Openable Artificial Intestinal Tract System Enables the Evaluation of Drug Absorption in Caco-2 Cells through the Reduction in Thickness of the Unstirred Water Layer.

In drug absorption and permeability experiments, an unstirred water layer (UWL) is known to cause differences in the estimated permeability of drugs between in vitro and in vivo experiments. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new method to allow for accurate measurements of in vitro drug absorption through the reduction of the UWL effect. Previously, we have developed an artificial intestinal tract that mimics the tubular structure of the human intestine and enables study of drug absorption under flow conditions. In order to determine whether our artificial intestinal tract has the potential to reduce the effect of a UWL on drug absorption, the present study evaluated drug absorption in Caco-2 cells using this artificial system. The viability and tight junction structure of Caco-2 cells on the artificial intestinal tract were intact during perfusion. The cumulative amount of the highly lipophilic drugs imipramine and chlorpromazine accumulated in Caco-2 cells cultured on the cell culture plate was 1.5 times higher under mechanical agitation, whereas that of cells on the artificial intestinal tract was 6.5 times higher when internal flow was applied. In addition, the cumulative amounts of 5-aminosalicylic acid and clonidine, drugs with low lipophilicity, accumulated in Caco-2 cells on the artificial intestinal tract were unchanged by internal flow. These results indicate that the artificial intestinal tract enables effective reduction of the UWL thickness at the Caco-2 cell-surface, and allows evaluation of in vitro drug absorption under conditions similar to those found in vivo.

Influence of Physicochemical Properties and PEG Modification of Magnetic Liposomes on Their Interaction with Intestinal Epithelial Caco-2 Cells.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of particle size (100, 500 nm), surface charge (cationic, neutral and anionic) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) modification of magnetic liposomes on their interaction with the human intestinal epithelial cell line, Caco-2. The cellular associated amount of all the magnetic liposomes was significantly increased by the presence of a magnetic field. The highest association and internalization into Caco-2 cells was observed with magnetic cationic liposomes. Moreover, small magnetic liposomes were more efficiently associated and taken up into the cells, than large ones. In contrast, PEG modification significantly attenuated the enhancing effect of the magnetic field on the cellular association of magnetic liposomes. We also found that magnetic cationic liposomes had the highest retention properties to Caco-2 cells. Moreover, the retention of large magnetic liposomes to the cells was much longer than that of small ones. In addition, magnetic cationic and neutral liposomes had relatively high stability in Caco-2 cells, whereas magnetic anionic liposomes rapidly degraded. These results indicate that the physicochemical properties and PEG modification of magnetic liposomes greatly influences their intestinal epithelial transport.

Exercise using a robotic knee orthosis in stroke patients with hemiplegia.

[Purpose] The Robotics Knee Orthosis (RKO) is a knee-ankle-foot orthosis with active robot assisting technology. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of exercise with the RKO (RKO-exercise) in stroke patients with hemiplegia. [Subjects and Methods] Participants were nine stroke patients with hemiplegia, residing in a convalescent rehabilitation ward. The duration of the RKO-exercise program was 10 days. Participants were evaluated three times prior to intervention, once after intervention, and one month post intervention. Each session consisted of standard-of-care physical therapy for 60 minutes and RKO-exercise for 20 minutes. Dependent variables were 10-meter gait speed, cadence, Berg Balance Scale (BBS) score, stride length, the absolute value of left-right symmetry of the step length, and one-leg support period while walking. Data were analyzed using a one-way repeated measures ANOVA. [Results] Stride length, left-right symmetry of the step length, and one-leg support period while walking changed following the RKO exercise program. 10-meter walking speed, cadence, percentage of one-leg support period (affected side), and BBS changed significantly at one month post treatment time points. [Conclusion] It is expected that RKO-exercise helps recovery process after the stroke. RKO-exercise effectively treats impaired mobility in patient status-post stroke.

Effect of Mechanical Agitation on Cationic Liposome Transport across an Unstirred Water Layer in Caco-2 Cells.

To develop an effective oral delivery system for plasmid DNA (pDNA) using cationic liposomes, it is necessary to clarify the characteristics of uptake and transport of cationic liposome/pDNA complexes into the intestinal epithelium. In particular, evaluation of the involvement of an unstirred water layer (UWL), which is a considerable permeability barrier, in cationic liposome transport is very important. Here, we investigated the effects of a UWL on the transfection efficiency of cationic liposome/pDNA complexes into a Caco-2 cell monolayer. When Caco-2 cells were transfected with cationic liposome/pDNA complexes in shaking cultures to reduce the thickness of the UWL, gene expression was significantly higher in Caco-2 cells compared with static cultures. We also found that this enhancement of gene expression by shaking was not attributable to activation of transcription factors such as activator protein-1 and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB). In addition, the increase in gene expression by mechanical agitation was observed at all charge ratios (1.5, 2.3, 3.1, 4.5) of cationic liposome/pDNA complexes. Transport experiments using Transwells demonstrated that mechanical agitation increased the uptake of cationic liposome/pDNA complexes by Caco-2 cells, whereas transport of the complexes across a Caco-2 cell monolayer did not occurr. Moreover, the augmentation of the gene expression of cationic liposome/pDNA complexes by shaking was observed in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. These results indicate that a UWL greatly affects the uptake and transfection efficiency of cationic liposome/pDNA complexes into an epithelial monolayer in vitro.

A Case of Hepatic Portal Venous Gas in a Patient Treated with Pemetrexed and Carboplatin for Lung Cancer.

Hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) has rarely been reported in patients undergoing chemotherapy. We encountered a case of a 64-year-old man with stage IIIA lung adenocarcinoma who received adjuvant chemotherapy with pemetrexed and carboplatin and developed HPVG 1 day after the second chemotherapy. An emergency operation was performed, but the patient died 2 days after the operation because of multiple organ failure caused by sepsis. Since the patient had complained of alternating abdominal bloating and diarrhea during chemotherapy, we considered that the cause of HPVG was intestinal mucosal disruption and increased intraluminal pressure due to the chemotherapy.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma transformation in a patient with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with PD-1 therapy: A case report.

There have rarely been reports on the neoplastic transformation in other organs during immunotherapy for lung cancer. We report the case of a 71-year-old man who was diagnosed with advanced pulmonary adenocarcinoma and a thyroid tumor. The patient responded to chemoradiotherapy but developed a recurrence of pulmonary metastasis. Therefore, nivolumab was started, and a complete response for pulmonary metastasis was achieved. After 32 nivolumab cycles, he experienced neck pain, and the thyroid tumor grew rapidly. Histological examination revealed anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Although rare, immunotherapy for lung cancer has the potential to induce neoplastic transformation in other organs.

Modeling dry eye with an air-liquid interface in corneal epithelium-on-a-chip.

Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a complex ocular condition characterized by an unstable tear film and inadequate tear production, leading to tissue damage. Despite its common occurrence, there is currently no comprehensive in vitro model that accurately reproduce the cellular characteristics of DES. Here we modified a corneal epithelium-on-a-chip (CEpOC) model to recapitulate DES by subjecting HCE-T human corneal epithelial cells to an air-liquid (AL) interface stimulus. We then assessed the effects of AL stimulation both in the presence and absence of diclofenac (DCF), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Transcriptomic analysis revealed distinct gene expression changes in response to AL and AL_DCF, affecting pathways related to development, epithelial structure, inflammation, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Both treatments upregulated PIEZO2, linked to corneal damage signaling, while downregulating OCLN, involved in cell-cell junctions. They increased the expression of inflammatory genes (e.g., IL-6) and reduced mucin production genes (e.g., MUC16), reflecting dry eye characteristics. Metabolomic analysis showed increased secretion of metabolites associated with cell damage and inflammation (e.g., methyl-2-oxovaleric acid, 3-methyl-2-oxobutanoic acid, lauroyl-carnitine) in response to AL and even more with AL_DCF, indicating a shift in cellular metabolism. This study showcases the potential use of AL stimulus within the CEpOC to induce cellular characteristics relevant to DES.