A Microfluidic System for Simultaneous Raman Spectroscopy, Patch-Clamp Electrophysiology, and Live-Cell Imaging to Study Key Cellular Events of Single Living Cells in Response to Acute Hypoxia

The ability to sense changes in oxygen availability is fundamentally important for the survival of all aerobic organisms. However, cellular oxygen sensing mechanisms and pathologies remain incompletely understood and studies of acute oxygen sensing, in particular, have produced inconsistent results. Current methods cannot simultaneously measure the key cellular events in acute hypoxia (i.e., changes in redox state, electrophysiological properties, and mechanical responses) at controlled partial pressures of oxygen (pO(2) ). The lack of such a comprehensive method essentially contributes to the discrepancies in the field. A sealed microfluidic system that combines i) Raman spectroscopy, ii) patch-clamp electrophysiology, and iii) live-cell imaging under precisely controlled pO(2) have therefore been developed. Merging these modalities allows label-free and simultaneous observation of oxygen-dependent alterations in multiple cellular redox couples, membrane potential, and cellular contraction. This technique is adaptable to any cell type and allows in-depth insight into acute oxygen sensing processes underlying various physiologic and pathologic conditions.

  • Knoepp, F.
  • Wahl, J.
  • Andersson, A.
  • Kraut, S.
  • Sommer, N.
  • Weissmann, N.
  • Ramser, K.

Keywords

  • Raman spectroscopy
  • acute oxygen sensing
  • hypoxia
  • live-cell imaging
  • microfluidics
  • patch clamps
  • redox reactions
  • simultaneous assessment of cellular responses
Publication details
DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202100470
Journal: Small Methods
Pages: e2100470
Number: 10
Work Type: Original
Access number: 34927935
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