Improved electrochemical properties of stearate-graphite paste electrodes after albumin and phospholipid treatments.

Stearate-graphite paste electrodes (SGEs) exhibit enhanced dopamine sensitivity and insensivity to asorbic acid electrocatalytic effects in vitro following exposure to unidentified contituents of rat brain tissue homogenates. The present study utilized voltammetry and chronamperometry to compare the electrochemical characteristics of brain-treated SGEs to those treated with potential brain constituent candidates (albumin proteins and phospholipids). Albumin treatments markedly attenuated interference from ascorbate catalytic effects whereas lipids enhanced both electrode capacitance and sensitivity to dopamine. Combined treatments resulted in electrochemical properties that were similar to brain-treated SGEs. Potential mechanisms by which albumin may attenuate ascorbate electrocatalysis of dopamine were investigated using high performance liquid chromatography, with electrochemical detection. The reduction in ascorbate electrocatalytic effects at albumin-treated SGEs may be due to nucleophilic binding of dopamine oxidation products to albumin attached to the electrode surface. Therefore, the unambiguous detection of dopamine by SGEs in vivo may be related to interactions with factors in brain having similar surface-modifying properties.