In Situ Measurements of Nitric Oxide Release from Endothelial Cells Grown Directly on a Porphyrinic Sensor

Abstract

A porphyrinic sensor was developed and used to monitor the release of nitric oxide (NO) by a fetal bovine aorta endothelial (FBAE) cell culture and a primary bovine aorta endothelial (BAE) cell culture, with populations of several thousand cells. The sensor consisted of either a platinum mesh or reticulated vitreous carbon support covered with several layers of a p-type semiconducting metalloporphyrin and a cation exchanger, Nafion. Tissue and cell cultures can be grown directly on the surface of the sensor and NO release can be measured by amperometric or differential pulse voltammetry methods. The detection limit of the sensor deposited on reticulated vitrous carbon and platinum mesh support is 10 nM and 0.1 μM respectively. The response time is about one millisecond and precision 5-6%. The peak NO concentration released from FBAE cells was 190 ± 20 nM and 70 ± 20 nM when agonized by calcium ionophore (A23187) and bradykinin respectively. The maximum NO concentration released from the primary culture BA...