PC-12 cells have been widely used as a neuronal line study model in many biosensing devices, mainly due to the neurogenic characteristics acquired after differentiation, such as high level of secreted neurotransmitter, neuron morphology characterized by neurite outgrowth, and expression of ion and neurotransmitter receptors. For understanding the pathophysiology processes involved in brain disorders, PC-12 cell line is extensively assessed in neuroscience research, including studies on neurotoxicity, neuroprotection, or neurosecretion. Various analytical technologies have been developed to investigate physicochemical processes and the biosensors based on optical and electrochemical techniques, among others, have been at the forefront of this development. This article summarizes the application of different biosensors in PC-12 cell cultures and presents the modern approaches employed in neuronal networks biosensing.

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Azathioprine (AZA) is a pharmacologic immunosuppressive agent administrated in various conditions such as autoimmune disease or to prevent the rejection of organ transplantation. The mechanism of action is based on its biologically active metabolite 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), which is converted, among others, into thioguanine nucleotides capable of incorporating into replicating DNA, which may act as a strong UV chromophore and trigger DNA oxidation. The interaction between azathioprine and DNA, before and after exposure to solar simulator radiation, was investigated using UV–vis spectrometry and differential pulse voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode. The results indicated that the interaction of AZA with UV radiation was pH-dependent and occurred with the formation of several metabolites, which induced oxidative damage in DNA, and the formation of DNA-metabolite adducts. Moreover, the viability assays obtained for the L929 cell culture showed that both azathioprine and degraded azathioprine induced a decrease in cell proliferation.