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Electric impedance of human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium

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Abstract

The barrier properties of epithelium are conventionally defined by transepithelial resistance (TER). TER provides information about the tightness of the epithelium. Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) provides additional information regarding cell membrane properties, such as changes in electric capacitance and possible parallel or serial pathways that may correlate with the morphology of the cell layer. This study presents EIS of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell model of the putative RPE differentiated from human embryonic stem cells (hESC-RPE). The generally utilized RPE cell model, ARPE-19, was used as immature control. The measured EIS was analyzed by fitting an equivalent electrical circuit model describing the resistive and capacitive properties of the RPE. Our results indicated that TER of hESC-RPE cells was close to the values of human RPE presented in the literature. This provides evidence that the stem cell-derived RPE in vitro can reach high-barrier function. Furthermore, hESC-RPE cells produced impedance spectra that can be modeled by the equivalent circuit of one time constant. ARPE-19 cells produced low-barrier properties, that is, an impedance spectra that suggested poor maturation of ARPE-19 cells. To conclude, EIS could give us means for non-invasively estimating the functionality and maturation of differentiated-RPE cells.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Raimo Peurakoski for his technical help with the construction of the measurement system. We would like to express our deep gratitude to Outi Melin, Hanna Koskenaho, Elina Konsén and Heidi Hongisto for their assistance with the cell cultures. For this study’s financial support, the authors would like to thank TUT’s graduate school, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Emil Aaltonen Foundation, the Tampere Graduate Program in Biomedicine and Biotechnology, BioneXt Tampere, and the Academy of Finland (grant numbers 122959, 218050, and 137801). We are also indebted to Professor Markku Mäki’s group at the University of Tampere for the equipment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tampere University of Technology and BioMediTech, Hermiankatu 12 b, 33720, Tampere, Finland

    Niina Onnela, Virpi Savolainen & Jari Hyttinen

  2. Institute of Biomedical Technology, University of Tampere and BioMediTech, Biokatu 12, 33520, Tampere, Finland

    Kati Juuti-Uusitalo, Hanna Vaajasaari & Heli Skottman

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  1. Niina Onnela
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  2. Virpi Savolainen
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  3. Kati Juuti-Uusitalo
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  4. Hanna Vaajasaari
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  5. Heli Skottman
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  6. Jari Hyttinen
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Correspondence to Niina Onnela.

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Onnela, N., Savolainen, V., Juuti-Uusitalo, K. et al. Electric impedance of human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium. Med Biol Eng Comput 50, 107–116 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-011-0850-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-011-0850-z

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