Issue 12, 2010

On-chip epithelial barrier function assays using electrical impedance spectroscopy

Abstract

A bio-impedance chip has been developed for real-time monitoring of the kinetics of epithelial cell monolayers in vitro. The human bronchial epithelial cell line (16-HBE 14o-) was cultured in Transwells® creating a sustainable and interactive model of the airway epithelium. Conducting polymer polypyrrole (PPy) doped with polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) was electrochemically deposited onto the surface of gold-plated electrodes to reduce the influence of the electrical double layer on the impedance measurements. Finite element and equivalent circuit models were used to model and determine the electrical properties of the epithelial cell monolayer from the impedance spectra. Electrically tight, confluent monolayers of 16 HBE 14o- cells were treated with increasing concentrations of either Triton X-100 to solubilize cell membranes or ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethyl-ether)-N,N,NN′-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) to disrupt cellcell adhesion. Experimental impedance data showed that disruption of epithelial barrier function in response to Triton X-100 and EGTA can be successfully measured by the bio-impedance chip. The results were consistent with the conventional hand-held trans-epithelial electrical resistance measurements. Immunofluorescent staining of the ZO-1 tight junction protein in the untreated and treated 16HBEs was performed to verify the disruption of the tight junctions by EGTA.

Graphical abstract: On-chip epithelial barrier function assays using electrical impedance spectroscopy

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 Jan 2010
Accepted
03 Mar 2010
First published
08 Apr 2010

Lab Chip, 2010,10, 1611-1617

On-chip epithelial barrier function assays using electrical impedance spectroscopy

T. Sun, E. J. Swindle, J. E. Collins, J. A. Holloway, D. E. Davies and H. Morgan, Lab Chip, 2010, 10, 1611 DOI: 10.1039/C000699H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements