A Homemade Electrochemical System for Local Analysis of Dopamine Released by PC12 Cells

Abstract

Dopamine (DA) is a catecholamine-based neurotransmitter that functions in synaptic communication between cells. Imbalance in the amount of DA can cause many diseases ranging from Parkinson's disease to depression. In this study, local electrochemical measurement of DA released by PC12 cells after chemical stimulation was performed. First, the production of needle-tipped carbon-fiber microelectrodes was carried out by micropulling method. Carbon-fiber electrodes are frequently used for effective and high sensitivity detection of dopamine. Afterwards, cell clusters of PC12 cells were obtained for measurement of DA release. For the measurement process, a microcontroller unit integrated to a inverted microscope was used to precisely position the needle-tipped electrodes. DA release was successfully measured as a result of chemical stimulation with K+ ions. Basically, a homemade system was developed to analyze DA release triggered by chemical or physical stimuli.