Change in the dielectric response of single cells induced by nutrient deprivation over a wide frequency range

We employed dielectrophoresis (DEP) to investigate changes in the dielectric properties of single Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells induced by nutrient depletion. CHO cells were concurrently incubated in media with and without glucose and glutamine. After 54 hours, cells were identified as viable and non-viable by trypan-blue exclusion test. The DEP response of single viable and non-viable cells were measured at frequencies over a 100 kHz-300 MHz frequency range using a wide-band DEP cytometer. The results reveal that the induced stress is accompanied by decrease in the cell membrane capacitance, decline in the ion content of cytoplasm, and decrease in the high frequency Clausius-Mossotti factor associated with cytoplasm permittivity.