Ion channel characterization using single cell impedance spectroscopy

A micro electrical impedance spectroscopy system (microEIS) for single cell analysis has been developed and used to differentiate ion channel activities of bovine chromaffin cells. K+ and Ca2+ channels were blocked and their electrical impedances were measured over a frequency range of 100 Hz to 5.0 MHz and compared to that of unblocked chromaffin cells. When ion channels were blocked, an increase in magnitude and decrease in phase of the measured impedances were observed. This result demonstrates that ion channel activities can be distinguished using the developed microsystem and it is expected that this system can be used to provide positive/negative information of ion channel blockage in a high throughput screening setup.