Microelectrode-based dielectric spectroscopy of glucose effect on erythrocytes

The dielectric response of biconcave erythrocytes exposed to D-glucose and L-glucose has been investigated using a double array of planar interdigitated microelectrodes on a glass microchip. Erythrocytes are analyzed under physiological conditions suspended in hypo-osmolar balanced solutions containing different glucose concentrations (0-20 mM). The glucose effect on the cellular dielectric properties is evaluated by analyzing the spectra using two different approaches, the equivalent circuit model and a modified model for ellipsoidal particles. The results show that at elevated glucose concentration (15 mM) the membrane capacitance increases by 36%, whereas the cytosol conductivity slightly decreases with a variation of about 15%. On the contrary, no variation has been registered with L-glucose, a biologically inactive enantiomer of D-glucose. The paper discusses the possible mechanism controlling the membrane dielectric response. As the external D-glucose increases, the number of activated glucose transporter in the erythrocyte membrane raises and the transition from sugar-free state to sugar-bounded state induces a change in the dipole moments and in the membrane capacitance.