Cost-Effective Bioimpedance Spectroscopy System for Monitoring Syncytialization In Vitro: Experimental and Numerical...

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• The placenta's role in nutrient/oxygen exchange is vital, but drug effects on this barrier are poorly understood.
• Assessing placental barrier integrity is crucial for safe drug use during pregnancy.
• Existing methods for evaluating placental barrier function can be complex and costly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a cost-effective bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) system for assessing placental barrier integrity.
• To evaluate the system's ability to monitor tight junction integrity and cell monolayer formation in BeWo b30 cells.
• To investigate the impact of forskolin treatment on placental cell barrier properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized BeWo b30 cells cultured on collagen-coated membranes as a placental barrier model.
• Employed bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) with an entry-level impedance analyzer to measure electrical impedance.
• Confirmed cell monolayer formation and syncytialization using immunofluorescence staining and developed a COMSOL model for TEER analysis.

Main Results:

• The BIS system confirmed confluent monolayer formation and syncytialization on day 4.
• Forskolin treatment significantly increased electrical resistance, indicating a more restrictive barrier.
• Electrical capacitance decreased in treated cells, suggesting reduced surface area, and a COMSOL model explained TEER measurement discrepancies.

Conclusions:

• The developed AD2 device is feasible for monitoring placental barrier integrity.
• Standardized experimental setups are essential for comparable Trans-Epithelial Electrical Resistance (TEER) results.
• This system offers a valuable tool for analyzing drug effects and nutrient transfer across the placental barrier.