Metabolic monitoring of the electrically stimulated single heart cell within a microfluidic platform

Cheng, W., Klauke, N., Sedgwick, H., Smith, G. L. and Cooper, J. M. (2006) Metabolic monitoring of the electrically stimulated single heart cell within a microfluidic platform. Lab on a Chip, 6(11), pp. 1424-1431. (doi: 10.1039/b608202e)

Abstract

A device based on five individually addressable microelectrodes, fully integrated within a microfluidic system, has been fabricated to enable the real-time measurement of ionic and metabolic fluxes from electrically active, beating single heart cells. The electrode array comprised one pair of pacing microelectrodes, used for field-stimulation of the cell, and three other microelectrodes, configured as an electrochemical lactate microbiosensor, that were used to measure the amounts of lactate produced by the heart cell. The device also allowed simultaneous in-situ microscopy, enabling optical measurements of cell contractility and fluorescence measurements of extracellular pH and cellular Ca²⁺. Initial experiments aimed to create a metabolic profile of the beating heart cell, and results show well defined excitation-contraction (EC) coupling at different rates. Ca²⁺ transients and extracellular pH measurements were obtained from continually paced single myocytes, both as a function of the rate of cell contraction. Finally, the relative amounts of intra- and extra-cellular lactate produced during field stimulation were determined, using cell electroporation where necssary.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Klauke, Dr Norbert and Smith, Professor Godfrey and Cooper, Professor Jonathan and Cheng, Mr Wei
• Authors: Cheng, W., Klauke, N., Sedgwick, H., Smith, G. L., and Cooper, J. M.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Biomedical Engineering; College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering
• Journal Name: Lab on a Chip
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• ISSN: 1473-0197
• ISSN (Online): 1473-0189
• Published Online: 14 September 2006