Abstract
Introduction: In addition to many cellular processes, Ca2+ is also involved in tumor initiation, progression, angiogenesis, and metastasis. The development of new tools for single-cell Ca2+ measurement could open a new avenue for cancer therapy. Methods: The all-solid-state calcium ion-selective microelectrode (Ca2+-ISμE) based on carbon fiber modified with PEDOT (PSS) as solid-contact was developed in this work, and the characteristics of the Ca2+-ISμE have also been investigated. Results: The Ca2+-ISμE exhibits a stable Nernstian response in CaCl2 solutions in the active range of 1.0 × 10-8 - 3.1 × 10-3 M with a low detection limit of 8.9 × 10-9M. The Ca2+-ISμE can be connected to a patch clamp to fabricate a single-cell analysis platform for in vivo calcium monitoring of a single renal carcinoma cell. The calcium signal decreased significantly (8.6 ± 3.2mV, n = 3) with severe fluctuations of 5.9 ± 1.8mV when the concentration of K+ in the tumor microenvironment is up to 20mM. Discussion: The results indicate a severe cell response of a single renal carcinoma cell under high K+ stimuli. The detection system could also be used for single-cell analysis of other ions by changing different ion-selective membranes with high temporal resolution.
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