Cell-based sensor chip for neurotoxicity measurements in drinking water
- Our drinking water contains residues of pharmaceuticals. A sub-group of these contaminants are neuro-active
substances, the antiepileptic carbamazepine being one of the most relevant. For assessment of the neurotoxicity of this
drug at a sub-therapeutic level, a cell-based sensor chip platform has been realized and characterized. For this
purpose, a microelectrode array chip was designed and processed in a clean room and optimized in terms of low
processing costs and good recording properties. For characterization of the system neuronal cells were plated on
microelectrode array chips and electrical activity was measured as a function of applied carbamazepine concentration.
We found that the relative spike rate decreased with increasing drug concentration resulted in IC50 values of around 36 μM. This value is five orders of magnitude higher than the maximal dose found in drinking water. IC50 values for
burst rate, burst duration and synchrony were slightly higher, suggesting spike rate being a more sensitive parameter to
carbamazepine.