Construction of a biocompatible MWCNTs–chitosan composite interface and its application to impedance cytosensing of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells

In this work a carboxylated MWCNTs–chitosan composite sol–gel material was developed via one-step electrodeposition on a glassy carbon electrode as the cytosensing interface of a novel impedance cytosensor. SEM verified the formation of a three-dimensional hierarchical and porous microstructure favorable for the adhesion and spreading of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. By correlating impedance measurements with fluorescence microscopic characterization results, the cytosensor was demonstrated to have the ability to determine the MC3T3-E1 cell concentration ranging from 5 × 10(3) to 5 × 10(8) cell per mL with a detection limit of 1.8 × 10(3) cell per mL. The impedance cytosensor also enabled monitoring of the cell behavior regarding the processes of cell attachment, spreading, and proliferation in a label-free and quantitative manner. By taking advantage of this cytosensing method, investigating the effect of the C-terminal pentapeptide of osteogenic growth peptide (OGP(10–14)) on MC3T3-E1 cells was accomplished, demonstrating the potential for the application of OGP(10–14) in bone repair and regeneration. Therefore, this work afforded a convenient impedimetric strategy for osteoblastic cell counting and response monitoring that would be useful in evaluating the interactions between osteoblastic cells and specified drugs.