Novel S-MSPQC cell sensor for real time monitoring the injury of endothelial cell by LPS and assessing the drug effect on this injury

A novel square Au microelectrode multi-channel series piezoelectric quartz crystal (S-MSPQC) cell sensor was constructed by square Au microelectrode in series connected with quartz crystal sensor in MSPQC. The experimental results showed square shape Au microelectrode was more sensitive than normally used interdigital microelectrode. New constructed S-MSPQC was successfully used for real time monitoring the injury of human umbilical vein endothelial cells which induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and assessing the drug effects of two anti-oxidative vitamins, VC and VE and their combination against this injury. The detection results showed that the low concentration of LPS may promote the proliferation of the HUVEC cells at first 12 h, then it caused the cell apoptosis. The pretreatment of VC or VE on the cells for 12 h before adding the LPS could partially reduced the injury of LPS on HUVEC cells. The sensor detection results were all consisted with the results detected by MTT assay and microscopy observation. The synergistic effect of the combination of VC-VE on LPS-induced cell injury was also observed by sensor. Compared with the traditional biological methods, the proposed method is sensitive, label-free, non-invasive, cheap, simple, and automatic. It provides a new automatic tool for cell monitor in the field of cell biology, cytobiology, and drug effects research.