Human colon adenocarcinoma HT-29 cell: electrochemistry and nicotine stimulation.

Recently, it was demonstrated that colorectal cancer HT-29 cells can secrete epinephrine (adrenaline) in an autocrine manner to auto-stimulate cellular growth by adrenoreceptors activation, and that this secretion is enhanced by nicotine, showing an indirect relation between colorectal cancer and tobacco. The electrochemical behaviour of human colon adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells from a colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line, the hormone and neurotransmitter epinephrine, and nicotine, were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, using indium tin oxide (ITO), glassy carbon (GC) and screen printed carbon (SPC) electrodes. The oxidation of the HT-29 cells, previously grown onto ITO or SPC surfaces, followed an irreversible oxidation process that involved the formation of a main oxidation product that undergoes irreversible reduction, as in the epinephrine oxidation mechanism. The effect of nicotine stimulation of the HT-29 cells was also investigated. Nicotine, at different concentration levels 1, 2 and 15 mM, was introduced in the culture medium and an increase with incubation time, 0 to 3h and 30 min, of the HT-29 cells oxidation and reduction peaks was observed. The interaction of nicotine with the HT-29 cells stimulated the epinephrine secretion causing an increase in epinephrine release concentration, and enabling the conclusion that epinephrine and nicotine play an important role in the colorectal tumour growth.

Peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA): direct electrochemical oxidation on carbon electrodes.

The direct electrochemical behaviour of peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) adsorbed on glassy carbon and boron doped diamond electrodes surface, was studied over a wide pH range by cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry. MsrA oxidation mechanism occurs in three consecutive, pH dependent steps, corresponding to the oxidation of tyrosine, tryptophan and histidine amino acid residues. At the glassy carbon electrode, the first step corresponds to the oxidation of tyrosine and tryptophan residues and occurs for the same potential. The advantage of boron doped diamond electrode was to enable the separation of tyrosine and tryptophan oxidation peaks. On the second step occurs the histidine oxidation, and on the third, at higher potentials, the second tryptophan oxidation. MsrA adsorbs on the hydrophobic carbon electrode surface preferentially through the three hydrophobic domains, C1, C2 and C3, which contain the tyrosine, tryptophan and histidine residues, and tryptophan exists only in these regions, and undergo electrochemical oxidation.

Boron doped diamond and glassy carbon electrodes comparative study of the oxidation behaviour of cysteine and methionine.

The electrochemical oxidation behaviour at boron doped diamond and glassy carbon electrodes of the sulphur-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine, using cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry over a wide pH range, was compared. The oxidation reactions of these amino acids are irreversible, diffusion-controlled pH dependent processes, and occur in a complex cascade mechanism. The amino acid cysteine undergoes similar three consecutive oxidation reactions at both electrodes. The first step involves the oxidation of the sulfhydryl group with radical formation, that undergoes nucleophilic attack by water to give an intermediate species that is oxidized in the second step to cysteic acid. The oxidation of the sulfhydryl group leads to a disulfide bridge between two similar cysteine moieties forming cysteine. The subsequent oxidation of cystine occurs at a higher potential, due to the strong disulfide bridge covalent bond. The electro-oxidation of methionine at a glassy carbon electrode occurs in two steps, corresponding to the formation of sulfoxide and sulfone, involving the adsorption and protonation/deprotonation of the thiol group, followed by electrochemical oxidation. Methionine undergoes a one-step oxidation reaction at boron doped diamond electrodes due to the negligible adsorption, and the oxidation also leads to the formation of methionine sulfone.

In situ evaluation of chromium-DNA damage using a DNA-electrochemical biosensor.

The in situ evaluation of the direct interaction of chromium species with double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) was studied using differential pulse voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode. The DNA damage was electrochemically detected following the changes in the oxidation peaks of guanosine and adenosine bases. The results obtained revealed the interaction with dsDNA of the Cr(IV) and Cr(V) reactive intermediates of Cr(III) oxidation by O(2) dissolved in the solution bound to dsDNA. This interaction leads to different modifications and causes oxidative damage in the B-DNA structure. Using polyhomonucleotides of guanine and adenine, it was shown that the interaction between reactive intermediates Cr(IV) and Cr(V)-DNA causes oxidative damage and preferentially takes place at guanine-rich segments, leading to the formation of 8-oxoguanine, the oxidation product of guanine residues and a biomarker of DNA oxidative damage. The interaction of Cr(VI) with dsDNA causes breaking of hydrogen bonds, conformational changes, and unfolding of the double helix, which enables easier access of other oxidative agents to interact with DNA, and the occurrence of oxidative damage to DNA.

DNA interaction with palladium chelates of biogenic polyamines using atomic force microscopy and voltammetric characterization.

The interaction of double-stranded DNA with two polynuclear Pd(II) chelates with the biogenic polyamines spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm), Pd(II)-Spd and Pd(II)-Spm, as well as with the free ligands Spd and Spm, was studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM) at a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface, voltammetry at a glassy carbon (GC) electrode, and gel electrophoresis. The AFM and voltammetric results showed that the interaction of Spd and Spm with DNA occurred even for a low concentration of polyamines and caused no oxidative damage to DNA. The Pd(II)-Spd and Pd(II)-Spm complexes were found to induce greater morphological changes in the dsDNA conformation, when compared with their ligands. The interaction was specific, inducing distortion and local denaturation of the B-DNA structure with release of some guanine bases. The DNA strands partially opened give rise to palladium intra- and interstrand cross-links, leading to the formation of DNA adducts and aggregates, particularly in the case of the Pd(II)-Spd complex.

Electrochemical oxidation of amphetamine-like drugs and application to electroanalysis of ecstasy in human serum.

Amphetamine and amphetamine-like drugs are popular recreational drugs of abuse because they are powerful stimulants of the central nervous system. Due to a dramatic increase in the abuse of methylenedioxylated derivatives, individually and/or in a mixture, and to the incoherent and contradictory interpretation of the electrochemical data available on this subject, a comprehensive study of the redox properties of amphetamine-like drugs was accomplished. The oxidative behaviour of amphetamine (A), methamphetamine (MA), methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) was studied in different buffer systems by cyclic, differential pulse and square-wave voltammetry using a glassy carbon electrode. A quantitative electroanalytical method was developed and successfully applied to the determination of MDMA in seized samples and in human serum. Validation parameters, such as sensitivity, precision and accuracy, were evaluated. The results found using the developed electroanalytical methodology enabled to gather some information about the content and amount of MDMA present in ecstasy tablets found in Portugal. Moreover, the data found in this study outlook the possibility of using the voltammetric methods to investigate the potential harmful effects of interaction between drugs such as MDMA and methamphetamine and other substances often used together in ecstasy tablets.

Polynuclear palladium complexes with biogenic polyamines: AFM and voltammetric characterization.

Polynuclear Pd(II) complexes with biogenic polyamines present great potential clinical importance, due to their antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity coupled to less severe side-effects. The adsorption process and the redox behaviour of two polynuclear palladium chelates with spermine (Spm) and spermidine (Spd), Pd(II)-Spm and Pd(II)-Spd, as well as of their ligands Spm and Spd, were studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and voltammetry at highly oriented pyrolytic graphite and glassy carbon electrodes. AFM revealed different adsorption patterns and degree of surface coverage, correlated with the chelate structure, concentration of the solution, applied potential and voltammetric behaviour of the Spm, Spd, Pd(II)-Spm and Pd(II)-Spd systems. The voltammetric study of Spm and Spd showed that these biogenic polyamines undergo an irreversible and pH-dependent oxidation. In acid medium the polyamines are fully protonated, rendering their oxidation more difficult. With increasing pH the oxidation potential for both Spm and Spd is shifted to less positive values, indicating a greater ease of oxidation in alkaline medium. The Pd(II)-Spm and Pd(II)-Spd complexes dissociate at high negative or high positive potentials. The application of a positive potential induced the oxidation of these Pd complexes and the formation of mixed layers of palladium oxides, Spm/Spd and Pd(II)-Spm/Pd(II)-Spd.

In situ electrochemical and AFM study of thalidomide-DNA interaction.

The interaction of thalidomide (TD) with double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) was studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM) at highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) at glassy carbon electrodes (GCE), UV-Vis and electrophoresis. After incubation of dsDNA with different concentrations of TD, the AFM images show the formation of thin and incomplete TD-DNA network films with a number of embedded molecular aggregates and regions of uncovered HOPG. Both the TD-dsDNA aggregates and network thickness directly depended on the TD concentration and incubation time. The voltammetric data also showed that the modifications caused by TD to the DNA double helical structure are time-dependent. In agreement with AFM, DPV, UV-Vis and electrophoresis results, a model is proposed for the TD-DNA interaction, considering that TD intercalates into the dsDNA, causing defects in the dsDNA secondary structure and DNA double helix unwinding. Moreover, both AFM and DPV show that condensation is caused to DNA by TD and occurs until 24 h of incubation, as well as DNA oxidative damage, detected electrochemically by the appearance of the 8-oxoGua and/or 2,8 oxoAde oxidation peak.

In situ evaluation of heavy metal-DNA interactions using an electrochemical DNA biosensor.

Heavy metal ions, lead, cadmium and nickel, are well known carcinogens with natural different origins and their direct mode of action is still not fully understood. A dsDNA-electrochemical biosensor, employing differential pulse voltammetry, was used for the in situ evaluation of Pb2+, Cd2+ and Ni2+ interaction with dsDNA. The results confirm that Pb2+, Cd2+ and Ni2+ bind to dsDNA, and that this interaction leads to different modifications in the dsDNA structure. These modifications were electrochemically recognized as changes in the oxidation peaks of guanosine and adenosine bases. Using homopolynucleotides of guanine and adenine it has been proved that the interaction between Pb2+ and DNA causes oxidative damage and preferentially takes place at adenine-containing segments, with the formation of 2,8-dihydroxyadenine, the oxidation product of adenine residues and a biomarker of DNA oxidative damage. The Pb2+ bound to dsDNA can still undergo oxidation. The interaction of Cd2+ and Ni2+ causes conformational changes, destabilizing the double helix, which can enable the action of other oxidative agents on DNA.

Electrochemical oxidation of ochratoxin A at a glassy carbon electrode and in situ evaluation of the interaction with deoxyribonucleic acid using an electrochemical deoxyribonucleic acid-biosensor.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a fungal metabolite that occurs in foods, beverages, animal tissues, human blood and presents carcinogenic, teratogenic and nephrotoxic properties. This study concerns the redox properties of OTA using electrochemical techniques which have the potential for providing insights into the biological redox reactions of this molecule. The in situ evaluation of the OTA interaction with DNA using a DNA-electrochemical biosensor is also reported. The oxidation of OTA is an irreversible process proceeds with the transfer of one electron and one proton in a diffusion-controlled mechanism. The diffusion coefficient of OTA was calculated in pH 7 phosphate buffer to be D(O) = 3.65x10(-6) cm2 s(-1). The oxidation of OTA is also pH dependent for electrolytes with pH<7 and involves the formation of a main oxidation product which adsorbs strongly at the GCE surface undergoing reversible oxidation. In alkaline electrolytes OTA undergoes chemical deprotonation, the oxidation involving only the transfer of one electron. The electrochemical dsDNA-biosensor was also used to evaluate the possible interaction between OTA and DNA. The experiments have clearly proven that OTA interacts and binds to dsDNA strands immobilized onto a GCE surface, but no evidence of DNA-damage caused by OTA was obtained.

Atomic force microscopy and anodic voltammetry characterization of a 49-mer diels-alderase ribozyme.

Atomic force microscopy and differential pulse voltammetry were used to characterize the interaction of small highly structured ribozymes with two carbon electrode surfaces. The ribozymes spontaneously self-assemble in two-dimensional networks that cover the entire HOPG surface uniformly. The full-length ribozyme was adsorbed to a lesser extent than a truncated RNA sequence, presumably due to the formation of a more compact overall structure. All four nucleobases composing the ribozyme could be detected by anodic voltammetry on glassy carbon electrodes, and no signals corresponding to free nucleobases were found, indicating the integrity of the ribozyme molecules. Mg2+ cations significantly reduced the adsorption of ribozymes to the surfaces, in agreement with the stabilization of this ribozyme's compact, stable, and tightly folded tertiary structure by Mg2+ ions that could prevent the hydrophobic bases from interacting with the HOPG surface. Treatment with Pb2+ ions, on the other hand, resulted in an increased adsorption of the RNA due to well-known hydrolytic cleavage. The observed dependence of anodic peak currents on different folding states of RNA may provide an attractive method to electrochemically monitor structural changes associated with RNA folding, binding, and catalysis.

Voltammetric determination of gamma radiation-induced DNA damage.

Homopolydeoxyribonucleotides, poly[dGuo], poly[dAdo], poly[dThd], and poly[dCyd], and calf thymus single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) aqueous solutions previously exposed to gamma radiation doses between 2 and 35 Gy, were studied by differential pulse voltammetry using a glassy carbon electrode. The interpretation of the voltammetric data was also supported by the electrophoretic migration profile obtained for the same ssDNA and dsDNA gamma-irradiated samples by nondenaturing agarose gel electrophoresis. The generation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine, 2,8-dihydroxyadenine, 5-formyluracil, base-free sites, and single- and double-stranded breaks in the gamma-irradiated DNA samples was detected voltammetrically, with the amount depending on the irradiation time. It was found that the current peaks obtained for 8-oxoguanine increase linearly with the radiation dose applied to the nucleic acid sample, and values between 8 and 446 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoGua) per 10(6) guanines per Gy were obtained according to the nucleic acid sample. The results showed that voltammetry can be used for monitoring and simultaneously characterizing different kinds of DNA damage caused by gamma radiation exposure.

Electrochemistry of nanoscale DNA surface films on carbon.

A DNA electrochemical biosensor is an integrated receptor-transducer device. The most important step in the development and manufacture of a sensitive DNA-biosensor for the detection of DNA-drug interactions is the immobilization procedure of the nucleic acid probe on the transducer surface. Magnetic A/C Mode atomic force microscopy (MAC Mode AFM) images in air were used to characterize two different procedures for immobilising nanoscale double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) surface films on carbon electrodes. Thin film dsDNA layers presented holes in the dsDNA film that left parts of the electrode surface uncovered while thicker films showed a uniform and complete coverage of the electrode. These two procedures for preparing dsDNA-biosensors were used to study the influence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mechanism of DNA damage by quercetin, a flavonoid, and adriamycin, an anthracycline anticancer drug. The study of quercetin-DNA interactions in the presence of Cu(II) ions indicated that the formation of a quercetin-Cu(II) complex leads to the formation of ROS necessary to react with DNA, disrupting the helix and causing the formation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo). Reduced adriamycin radicals are able to directly cause oxidative damage to DNA, generating 8-oxodGuo and ROS are not directly involved in this genomic mutagenic lesion.

Synthetic oligonucleotides: AFM characterisation and electroanalytical studies.

One of the most important steps in designing more sensitive and stable DNA based biosensors is the immobilisation procedure of the nucleic acid probes on the transducer surface, while maintaining their conformational flexibility. MAC Mode AFM images in air demonstrated that the oligonucleotide sequences adsorb spontaneously on the electrode surface, showing the existence of pores in the adsorbed layer that reveal big parts of the electrode surface, which enables non-specific adsorption of other molecules on the uncovered areas. The electrostatic immobilisation onto a glassy carbon electrode followed by hybridisation with a complementary sequence and control with a non-complementary sequence was studied using differential pulse voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Changes in the oxidation currents of guanosine and adenosine were observed after hybridisation events as well as after control experiments. Modification of the double layer capacitance that took place after hybridisation or control experiments showed that non-specific adsorption of complementary or non-complementary sequences occur allowing the formation of a mixed multilayer.

AFM and electroanalytical studies of synthetic oligonucleotide hybridization.

The first and most important step in the development and manufacture of a sensitive DNA-biosensor for hybridization detection is the immobilization procedure of the nucleic acid probe on the transducer surface, maintaining its mobility and conformational flexibility. MAC Mode AFM images were used to demonstrate that oligonucleotide (ODN) molecules adsorb spontaneously at the electrode surface. After adsorption, the ODN layers were formed by molecules with restricted mobility, as well as by superposed molecules, which can lead to reduced hybridization efficiency. The images also showed the existence of pores in the adsorbed ODN film that revealed large parts of the electrode surface, and enabled non-specific adsorption of other ODNs on the uncovered areas. Electrostatic immobilization onto a clean glassy carbon electrode surface was followed by hybridization with complementary sequences and by control experiments with non-complementary sequences, studied using differential pulse voltammetry. The data obtained showed that non-specific adsorption strongly influenced the results, which depended on the sequence of the ODNs. In order to reduce the contribution of non-specific adsorbed ODNs during hybridization experiments, the carbon electrode surface was modified. After modification, the AFM images showed an electrode completely covered by the ODN probe film, which prevented the undesirable binding of target ODN molecules to the electrode surface. The changes of interfacial capacitance that took place after hybridization or control experiments showed the formation of a mixed multilayer that strongly depended on the local environment of the immobilized ODN.

Electrochemical sensing of the behaviour of oligonucleotide lipoplexes at charged interfaces.

Complexes between short oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) with a variable dG(x)dC(y) base composition and liposomes composed of the cationic lipid DOTAP (ODN lipoplexes) were studied by differential pulse voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode. Since lipoplexes are spontaneously formed by electrostatic interactions, the objective of the voltammetric study was to investigate their behaviour at the electrode surface/solution interface. It was verified that the peak current in the voltammograms for ODN lipoplexes was due to guanosine oxidation and that it was influenced both by the applied adsorption potential and the lipoplex (+/-) charge ratio used. It was found that for low ODN lipoplexes (+/-) charge ratios the peak current obtained was enhanced when compared to that registered with free ODN for the same concentration. This allowed a higher sensitivity in the determination of ODN by differential pulse voltammetry and a limit of detection of 5.5 ng/mL was achieved. A model that explains the organisation of ODN lipoplexes at the electrode surface/solution interface is proposed. The electrochemical results presented account for a better physicochemical characterisation of lipoplexes at charged interfaces, which can be important for the understanding and development of gene therapy vectors based on ODN lipoplexes.

Voltammetric determination of all DNA nucleotides.

The voltammetric oxidation of all deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) monophosphate nucleotides is investigated for the first time over a wide pH range by differential pulse voltammetry with a glassy carbon electrode. Experimental conditions such as the electrode size, supporting electrolyte composition, and pH were optimized to obtain the best peak potential separation and higher currents. This enabled the simultaneous voltammetric determination of all four DNA bases in equimolar mixtures and detection limits in the nanomolar range at physiological pH. It was also possible to detect for the first time the oxidation of each of the purine and pyrimidine nucleotides free in solution or as monomers in single-stranded DNA.

Electrochemical and spectroscopic studies of the oxidation mechanism of the herbicide propanil.

Electrochemical oxidation of propanil in deuterated solutions was studied by cyclic, differential pulse, and square wave voltammetry using a glassy carbon microelectrode. The oxidation of propanil in deuterated acid solutions occurs at the nitrogen atom of the amide at a potential of +1.15 V vs Ag/AgCl. It was also found that, under the experimental conditions used, protonation at the oxygen atom of propanil occurs, leading to the appearance of another species in solution which oxidizes at +0.60 V. The anodic peak found at +0.79 V vs Ag/AgCl in deuterated basic solutions is related to the presence of an anionic species in which a negative charge is on the nitrogen atom. The electrochemical data were confirmed by the identification of all the species formed in acidic and basic deuterated solutions by means of NMR spectroscopy. The results are supported by electrochemical and spectroscopic studies of acetanilide in deuterated solutions.

An impedance study of the adsorption of nucleic acid bases at glassy carbon electrodes.

Electrochemical impedance has been used to study the adsorption at glassy carbon electrodes of guanine, its corresponding nucleoside, guanosine, and adenine. Impedance studies at different concentrations and applied potentials show clearly that all three bases are adsorbed on the electrode, blocking the surface. Irradiating the electrode with low-frequency (20 kHz) ultrasound whilst recording the impedance spectra increased transport of molecules to the electrode surface with cavitation cleaning the surface and removing strongly adsorbed molecules of bases. In this way, sonoelectrochemical experiments enabled the electrode processes to be studied in the absence of adsorption.