Cell membrane morphology analysis using an infrared sensor system

In this paper, we report on the CH2-symmetric to CH2-antisymmetric stretch ratio as a method to determine membrane morphology alterations in mammalian cells. Cell membrane morphology is an important parameter for tumour development studies and for determining the lowest effective dose of antitumour agents, reducing the occurrence of side effects. For this study a normal epithelial kidney cell line and three human melanoma cell lines were investigated. The epithelial kidney cell line Madin-Darby Canine Kidney was exposed to the cholesterol reduction agent methyl-β-cyclodextrin. The cholesterol reduction changes the cell membrane morphology and the plasma membrane of the cells become less rigid. A thin layer chromatography analysis was performed into test the efficiency of the cholesterol reduction method. titumour agent cisplatin is known to cause the opposite effect and makes the cell membrane more rigid. In order to investigate the cell membrane morphology change three human melanoma cell lines were treated with cisplatin. e CH2-stretch ratio measurements we used a self-designed infrared sensor system, which has the potential to be further developed in a point-of-care instrument. With the sensor system the morphology changes due to cholesterol reduction and cisplatin treatments were established. tudy proves that the CH2-symmetric to CH2-antisymmetric stretch ratio can be successfully applied for label-free cell membrane morphology analysis.