Towards pharmacological treatment screening of cardiomyocyte cells using Si nanowire FETs

Silicon nanowires (Si NWs) are the most promising candidates for recording biological signals due to improved interfacing properties with cells and the possibility of high-speed transduction of biochemical signals into detectable electrical responses. The recording of extracellular action potentials (APs) from cardiac cells is important for fundamental studies of AP propagation features reflecting cell activity and the influence of pharmacological substances on the signal. We applied a novel approach of using fabricated Si NW field-effect transistors (FETs) in combination with fluorescent marker techniques to evaluate the functional activity of cardiac cells. Extracellular AP signal recording from HL-1 cardiomyocytes was demonstrated. This method was supplemented by studies of the pharmacological effects of stimulations using noradrenaline (NorA) as a modulator of functional activity on a cellular and subcellular levels, which were also tested using fluorescent marker techniques. The role of calcium alteration and membrane potential were revealed using Fluo-4 AM and tetra-methylrhodamine, methyl ester, perchlorate (TMRM) fluorescent dyes. In addition, chemical treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solutions was tested. The results obtained demonstrate positive prospects for AP monitoring in different treatments for studies related to a wide range of myocardial diseases using lab-on-chip technology.