Spatial changes in acid secretion from isolated stomach tissue using a pH-histamine sensing microarray

Abstract

The acid secretion mechanism can be studied by measuring a series of metabolic markers and neurotransmitters from in vitro isolated tissue. A microelectrode array was used to monitor proton concentration and histamine levels from isolated guinea pig stomach tissue. The device was partially modified using iridium oxide to form a series of pH sensors, whereas unmodified gold microelectrodes were used to measure the level of histamine in the gut. Real-time measurements in the presence of the H2-receptor antagonist ranitidine produced significant decreases in the overall Δ pH response, as expected. Also, a significant variation in the Δ pH response in between pH sensors was observed in the presence of pharmacological treatment due to structural features of the tissue. No significant differences in Δ i_H were detected in the presence of ranitidine as expected. More significantly, clear variations in Δ pH responses between animals in control conditions and those in the presence of ranitidine was observed highlighting possible variation in parietal cell density and/or variations in tissue activity. These results identify great possibilities in applying these multi-sensing devices as a long-term stable personalised diagnostic tool for pharmacological screening and disease status.