Journal of Analytical & Bioanalytical Techniques
Open Access

Research Article

In Situ Quantification of Glucose Concentration in Airway Surface Liquid With Functionalized ZnO Nanorod-Coated Microelectrodes

Alejandro A. Pezzulo¹ , Muhammad H. Asif^2*, Magnus Willander² and Joseph Zabner^1*

¹Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

²Departments of Science and Technology, Campus Norrköping, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden

*Corresponding Author:

Joseph Zabner
University of Iowa 440 EMRB
Iowa City, IA, 52242
Tel: 319-3357608
Fax: 319-3357623
E-mail: joseph-zabner@uiowa.edu

 

Muhammad H. Asif
Linköping University
Department of Science and Technology (ITN)
Norrköping City, SE-60174
Tel: +4611363119
Fax: +4611363270
E-mail: muhammad.asif@liu.se

Received date: June 10, 2011; Accepted date: August 10, 2011; Published date: Augutst 12, 2011

Citation: Pezzulo AA, Asif MH, Willander M, Zabner J (2011) In Situ Quantification of Glucose Concentration in Airway Surface Liquid With Functionalized ZnO Nanorod-Coated Microelectrodes. J Anal Bioanal Tech S7:002. doi:10.4172/2155-9872.S7-002

Copyright: © 2011 Pezzulo AA, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

The surface of the airways that conduct gases into and out of the lungs has components that protect the host from inhaled and aspirated pathogens. The thin (4-7 mm height) layer of airway surface liquid (ASL) that lines the airways has physicochemical properties that are important for normal function of these antimicrobial components. Among these properties, low glucose concentration is required for normal antimicrobial activity. Current methods for assessing the ASL have important flaws (temporal resolution, dilution factors, collection volume), which have been a recurring obstacle for understanding diseases in which ASL composition is abnormal. To circumvent these problems, microelectrodes coated with ZnO nanorods and immobilized glucose oxidase was used to determine glucose concentration in ASL of well-differentiated cultures of human airway epithelia. The sensor responded to glucose linearly over a concentration range of 0.128 to 8 mM and the effects of electroactive interferents were minimal. The measured concentration of glucose in ASL was consistent with values previously reported. This method confirms the presence of a transepithelial glucose concentration gradient in human airway epithelia and is an important step towards characterizing the physicochemical properties of ASL and understanding diseases caused by changes in ASL composition.

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