Effects of Heat Exposure Duration on Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells in 3D Printed Samples

Abstract

This paper reports an experimental study on the effects of heat exposure duration on human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells encapsulated in 3D printed samples. Petri dishes containing the 3D printed samples were exposed to a temperature of 45 °C for three levels of exposure duration (15, 60, and 150 minutes). Microscopic imaging of the 3D-printed samples was employed to assess cell viability. The findings showed a reduction in cell viability with increasing exposure duration, suggesting that prolonged heat exposure significantly exacerbates cellular injury in HBE cells. Specifically, cell viability decreased approximately 20% when exposure duration changed from 15 to 60 minutes, and approximately 75% when exposure duration changed from 60 to 150 minutes. This study contributes to advancing the understanding of how heat exposure duration affects the respiratory system.