Redox Homeostasis Alteration in Endothelial Mechanotransduction Monitored by Dual Stretchable Electrochemical Sensors

Abstract

In vivo, endothelial cells are permanently subjected to dynamic cyclic stretch and adapt to it through the release of vasoactive substances. Among them, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) are indispensable redox molecules, the contents of which and their ratio are closely implicated with endothelial redox homeostasis. However, simultaneous and quantitative monitoring of ROS and NO release in endothelial mechanotransduction remains a great challenge. Herein, a stretchable electrochemical device is developed with a dual electrode based on gold nanotubes decorated with uniform and tiny platinum nanoparticles. This hybrid nanostructure endows the sensor with high sensitivity toward both hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) (as the most stable ROS) and NO electrooxidation. Importantly, the two species can be well discriminated by applying different potentials, which allows simultaneous monitoring of H 2 O 2 and NO release in stretch-induced endothelial mechanotransduction by the same device. The results of quantitative analysis suggest that endothelial redox homeostasis and its alteration are strongly related to vascular biomechanical and biochemical milieus. Further investigation reveals that the interplay of ROS and NO signaling has an important role in the regulation of endothelial redox state. This work will greatly facilitate the deep understanding of the molecular mechanism of endothelial dysfunction and vascular disorder.

Implantable Electrochemical Sensors for Brain Research

“…More recently, Huang's group developed a stretchable electrochemical device based on a gold nanotube-based double electrode. 78 The sensor is decorated with platinum nanoparticles for the analysis of NO and H 2 O 2 in vascular endothelial cells. However, flexible electrodes tend to bend during implantation and have difficulty reaching the specific deep brain regions accurately.…”

“…The complete extension of cardiomyocytes on the surface of the PEDOT-based nanoweb demonstrated the good biocompatibility of the PEDOT-based nanofiber matrix, which allowed real-time monitoring of nitric oxide release and electrophysiological activity in cardiomyocytes. More recently, Huang’s group developed a stretchable electrochemical device based on a gold nanotube-based double electrode . The sensor is decorated with platinum nanoparticles for the analysis of NO and H 2 O 2 in vascular endothelial cells.…”

Stretchable Electrochemical Sensors: From Electrode Fabrication to Cell Mechanotransduction Monitoring†

“…between their peak potentials (about 0.5 V), then we reported a stretchable electrochemical device integrated with dual Au@Pt NTs/PDMS electrodes and achieved discriminative monitoring of H 2 O 2 and NO by applying matched potentials to the dual electrodes. [ 108 ]…”

Stretchable Electrochemical Sensor Based on a Gold Nanowire and Carbon Nanotube Network for Real-Time Tracking Cell-Released H2S

“…However, these sensors are usually rigid and lack the ability to be compatible with deformed cells and thus are unable to detect H 2 S secreted from cells when they are subjected to mechanical strain. The emergence of flexible and stretchable sensors in recent years using nanomaterials provides an ideal platform for the real-time detection of biochemical molecule exocytosis during cell deformation. , For example, Cheng′s group fabricated flexible sensing platforms based on aligned gold nanowires and an ordered holey gold thin film toward cell analysis. Recently, we prepared a stretchable H 2 O 2 sensor by depositing nanostructured Au (nano-Au) on a carbon nanotube (CNT) film embedded in poly­(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) .…”