Toxicity assessment of biological suspensions using the dielectric impedance spectroscopy technique

Abstract

Purpose: This article studies the variation of the electromagnetic parameters of a suspension of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos to assess its potential applications to toxicological and biomedical research areas.

Materials and methods: For this purpose, the dielectric impedance spectroscopy technique is applied to a modified coaxial line enclosing the biological suspension to be characterized in the frequency range from 100 kHz to 100 MHz. The electrical parameters of the suspension under test were obtained by fitting the impedance spectra to the resulted from the simulation of the test fixture using finite elements (FE).

Results: Variation of the complex permittivity of the suspensions makes possible to identify viable and non-viable embryos after a toxic exposure, as well as different stages during the blastula period of embryonic development of the zebrafish.

Conclusions: The approach presented here, combining experimental and simulation techniques, may provide a basis for a non-invasive method to assess toxicity in any biological suspension.

Keywords:

• Dielectric impedance spectroscopy
• zebrafish embryo
• dielectric characterization

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank J. Roldán Madroñero for his helpful technical assistance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Financial support from the Health Research Fund [project FIS PI12/00923] and from Santander UCM Research [project PR26/16-20303] is gratefully acknowledged.

Notes on contributors

S. Muñoz

S. Muñoz received her PhD in Physics from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 1996 where she teaches as a University Professor of Electromagnetics and Biological Physics since 1992. Her research interests are focused on the interaction between the EMFs and biological systems.

J. L. Sebastián

J. L. Sebastian, prior to completing his PhD at Surrey University (UK), studied Physics at Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain) where he teaches as a University Professor of Electromagnetics since 1983. His research interests include interaction of EMFs with biological structures and has authored various papers published in Physical Review and PMB.

P. Antoranz

P. Antoranz received his PhD in Physics from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) in 2009, where he is currently Professor. He is an expert in high frequency, low noise electronics. He recently joined the Group of Bioelectromagnetism of the UCM and focused his work on impedance spectroscopy and FE analysis.

J. P. García-Cambero

J. P. García-Cambero is doctorated in Veterinary Sciences, 1992. ISCIII Scientific Staff, working in mammalian risk assessment of plant protection products. Now, head of the Zebrafish Unit with about 10 years of experience in the use of zebrafish embryo for risk assessment purpose. Specialized in developmental neurotoxicity.

A. Sanchis-Otero

A. Sanchis-Otero obtained her PhD in Physics in 2008. Since 2009 is scientific staff of the National Centre of Environmental Health. Her research is focused on the interaction between the EMFs and biological systems, from the dielectric characterization techniques to the numerical assessment of the human exposure to EMFs.