A HepG2 Cell-Based Biosensor That Uses Stainless Steel Electrodes for Hepatotoxin Detection

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cell Biology
• Environmental Toxicology

Background:

• Hepatotoxins in the environment pose a significant risk, potentially leading to liver failure.
• Biosensors offer a sensitive, specific, and cost-effective solution for detecting these harmful substances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the suitability of HepG2 cells for use in biosensors designed for hepatotoxin detection.
• To investigate HepG2 cell adhesion on stainless steel surfaces for biosensor applications.

Main Methods:

• In vitro experiments assessed HepG2 cell viability using resazurin, neutral red (NR), and Coomassie Brilliant Blue (CBB) assays.
• Cytotoxicity was determined after exposure to varying concentrations of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and isoniazid (INH).
• Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was employed to develop a cell-based electrochemical biosensor.

Main Results:

• HepG2 cells demonstrated successful adhesion to stainless steel surfaces.
• The study quantitatively and qualitatively assessed cell viability using microscopy.
• The developed biosensor effectively evaluated HepG2 cell viability upon exposure to AFB1 and INH.

Conclusions:

• HepG2 cells are suitable for integration into biosensors for detecting hepatotoxins.
• The developed cell-based electrochemical biosensor shows potential for simple hepatotoxic sample analysis.
• This approach offers a viable method for monitoring environmental hepatotoxin exposure.