Simultaneous imaging and chemical attack of a single living cell within a confluent cell monolayer by means of scanning electrochemical microscopy.
Epithelial cell monolayers from rat kidney were imaged by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) with sub-micrometer resolution in both lateral and vertical direction. Platinum disk ultra-microelectrodes (UMEs) with effective electrode radii between 200 and 600 nm were operated in the constant-height mode. The quality of the recorded SECM images compare favorably with those of phase contrast and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Besides the acquisition of SECM images, the UME was used to selectively attack a single living cell within the monolayer ensemble. Hydroxide ions were locally generated in the vicinity of a single target cell by the UME. The increase in pH induced cell necrosis that was subsequently imaged by SECM. It could be clearly demonstrated that the single target cell was selectively affected, whereas the adjacent reference cells remained unchanged.
Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Chemo- und Biosensors, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
Stefan
S
Bergner
Joachim
J
Wegener
Frank-Michael
FM
Matysik
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004566:Electrodes; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009336:Necrosis / Q000473:pathology; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats
D010984:Platinum