Direct monitoring of respiratory activity of cultured cells by potential-step chronoamperometry

A new method to determine oxygen uptake rate of living cells is described. Two kinds of cultured mammalian cells were incubated in a 2.0 mi vol cuvett e, which was equipped with an oxygen electrode as specially designed to mea sure the oxygen concentration ([O-2]) in the culture medium. This new metho d allowed 1) instant determination of the respiratory activity of living ce lls, and 2) simultaneous monitoring of responses of cell against extracellu lar stimuli.