Real-Time Detection of Single-Living Pancreatic β-Cell by Laser Tweezers Raman Spectroscopy: High Glucose Stimulation

Glucose acts as a beta-cell stimulus factor and leads to cellular responses that involve a large amount of biomolecule formation, relocation, and transformation. We hypothesize that information about these changes can be obtained in real-time by laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy. To test this hypothesis, repeated measurements designs in accordance with the application of Raman spectroscopy detection were used in the current experiment. Single rat beta-cells were measured by Raman spectroscopy in 2.8 mmol/l glucose culture medium as a basal condition. After stimulation with high glucose (20 mmol/l), the same cells were measured continuously. Each cell was monitored over a total time span of 25 min, in 5 min intervals. During this period of time, cells were maintained at an appropriate temperature controlled by an automatic heater, to provide near-physiological conditions. It was found that some significant spectral changes induced by glucose were taking place during the stimulation time course. The most noticeable changes were the increase of spectral intensity at the 1002, 1085, 1445, and 1655 cm(-1) peaks, mainly corresponding to protein and lipid. We speculate that these changes might have to do with beta-cell protein and lipid synthesis. Using laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy in combination with glucose stimulation, optical spectral information from rat beta-cells was received and analyzed. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 93: 587-594, 2010.