To Investigate the Correlation of Proton Leak and Current Produced from Animal Cells by Microbial Fuel Cells

Abstract

Proton leak has been implicated in various chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer. In this study, current from intact cells, including mice liver cells, pig blood cells and human breast cancer cell MCF-7 were measured by microbial fuel cells (MFC). Positive current change in normal liver cells were induced by either 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) or Piceatonnol. The effect of DNP in enhancing the proton conductivity would increase the degree of positive current change, while Piceatonnol in improving the mitochondria membrane potential would support the sustainability of the positive current change with time. Piceatonnol was found to be more effective in inducing positive current change in cancer cells than in liver cells. The higher effectiveness of Piceatonnol to cancer cells would be explained by the high proton leak condition of the cells, and so increased the current production. Little positive current change could be induced in red blood cell by either DNP or Piceatonnol. Results supported the hypothesis of the high mitochondria membrane potential to support the positive current change in cells with time, while the proton conductivity determined the degree of positive current change. The condition of proton leak of cells seemed to be the limiting factor for the positive current change in cells.

Using live algae at the anode of a microbial fuel cell to generate electricity

“…Nonetheless, the authors believed the reaction of the leaked protons was important to bring the charge balance for the leaked electrons and so enhance the further electron leaking and electric current production from the cells. In summary, the induction of proton leak would likely enhance the electron leak and subsequently increase the electric current production, which was confirmed in the present study and also the study using hepatocytes at the anode (Poon et al 2014(Poon et al , 2015.…”

“…Therefore, the power generation of MFC was significantly influenced by the type of bacterial community at the anode (Lesnik and Liu 2014). Our previous study using hepatocytes or cancer cells in the anode would generate electric current in MFC (Poon et al 2014(Poon et al , 2015, which has opened the possibility to use eukaryotic cells as electron donor in MFC.…”

“…Recently, increasing number of bacteria, including aerobic phototroph cyanobacteria, was found to have the ability to produce electricity (Pisciotta et al 2011), which was beyond what was previously thought of. In our previous study, we also demonstrated the use of hepatocytes and cancer cells at the anode to generate electric current in MFC (Poon et al 2014(Poon et al , 2015, in which the mitochondria might play a significant role (Poon et al 2014(Poon et al , 2015.…”

A Mechanism for the Temporal Potentiation of Genipin to the Cytotoxicity of Cisplatin in Colon Cancer Cells

“…Experimental studies would investigate the temporal effect of Genipin and Cisplatin to ROS production, MMP and current production, and their relationships with the potentiation of Genipin to the chemotherapeutic effect of Cisplatin. Using the technique of microbial fuel cell (MFC), electric current could be measured from mammalian cells 35 , in which cancer cells were found to produce much higher currents 36 . Proton leaking 35 and the expression of UCP2 36 in cells was found to influence the magnitude of electric current production from cells.…”

“…Using the technique of microbial fuel cell (MFC), electric current could be measured from mammalian cells 35 , in which cancer cells were found to produce much higher currents 36 . Proton leaking 35 and the expression of UCP2 36 in cells was found to influence the magnitude of electric current production from cells. The electron and proton leaking from electron transport chain (ETC) was associated with the generation of electric current in MFC 35 - 36 .…”