Characterization of radiation electrophysiological properties of U87 cells induced by ionizing radiation and STAT3 inhibitors under microelectrode matrix sensor

Abstract

Background: Cellular impedance–sensing technology has not been widely used to determine ionizing radiation– induced apoptosis. Method: A cellular electrical impedance–sensing system, including host software and a hardware system consisting of 29 microelectrode arrays, was constructed by us. After group processing, U87 cells were inoculated onto the electrode chips, and changes in the electrical impedance of each group of cells were monitored in real-time. Apoptosis levels in each group of cells were determined using conventional techniques and compared with the trend of their corresponding changes in electrical impedance. Result: The electrical impedance profile of U87 cells could be used to monitor apoptosis levels in real-time. Ionizing radiation and the STAT3 inhibitor WP1066 both induced apoptosis in U87 cells by activating the Bcl-2/BAX/Caspase-3 signaling pathway. WP1066 promoted apoptosis in glioblastoma cells by preventing the nuclear translocation of pSTAT3, and radiation-induced apoptosis began earlier than WP1066-induced apoptosis. Conclusion: This novel study establishes a practical and theoretical foundation for radiation electrophysiology research by demonstrating that the cellular impedance–sensing system based on microelectrode arrays can detect ionizing radiation–induced and drug-induced glioblastoma cell death in real-time.

Keywords

• Glioblastoma
• Electrical impedance
• p-STAT3 inhibitor
• Radiation
• Cell apoptosis