Magneto-optical cellular chip model for intracellular orientational-dynamic-activity detection

Abstract

In the present study, a magneto-optical cellular chip model (MoCCM) was developed to detect intracellular dynamics in macromolecules by using magneto-optical effects. For the purpose of cell-measurement under strong static magnetic fields of up to 10 T, we constructed a cellular chip model, which was a thin glass plate with a well for a cell culture. A cell line of osteoblast MC3T3-E1 was incubated in the glass well, and the well, 0.3 mm in depth, was sealed by a cover glass when the MoCCM was set in a fiber optic system. An initial intensity change of the polarized light transmission, which dispersed perpendicular to the cell’s attaching surface, was collected for 10 to 60 min, and then magnetic fields were applied parallel and perpendicular to the surface and light direction, respectively. The magnetic birefringence signals that originated from the magnetic orientation of intracellular molecules such as cytoskeletons apparently appeared when the magnetic fields were constant at 10 T. A statistical analysis with 15 experiments confirmed that the cellular components under 10 T magnetic fields caused a stronger alignment, which was transferred into polarizing light intensity that increased more than the case before exposure. Cellular conditions such as generation and cell density affected the magnetic birefringence signals.