The development of a simple, portable and accurate instrument used in the evaluation of in vitro cytotoxicity is particularly important and urgent in the field of toxicology research at present. In the current study, a miniature electrochemical detection system was constructed that integrated graphene oxide quantum dots and multiwall carbon nanotubes modified anodized screen printed carbon electrode (GOQDs/MWCNTs/SPCE*) with a mini reaction vessel, which reduced the consumption of sample from 500 to 80 μL. Four electrochemical signals could be detected in cells distinctly for the first time which were attributed to the oxidation of uric acid, guanine/xanthine, adenine and hypoxanthine, respectively. This miniature electrochemical detection system has better selectivity, sensitivity and its detection limits were lower than those of most electrochemical sensors. Furthermore it has been found that the level of purine nucleotide metabolism in BALB/3T3 cells and MCF-7 cells was different, which could be related to the different purine nucleotide metabolisms of cancer cells and non cancer cells. The simple, portable and miniature electrochemical detection system could be used as a convenient instrument for toxicology detection.
Keywords: Cells; Miniature electrochemical detection system; Purine nucleotide metabolism.
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