Electrochemical Alchemy: Novel NH2@Pt/AgVO3 and boronic acid recognition to probe insulin-resistant macrophage phenotype shifts via glucose analysis and DFT studies

Abstract

Glucose is a known energy source that gives insights into cellular metabolism by glycolysis, biosynthesis and glycogen for storage. Investigation of glucose uptake in immune cells requires highly expensive tags and imaging techniques, however, we developed an amine (NH2) nobbled Platinum (Pt)-Silver vanadate (AgVO3) sensor platform combined with 3-mercapto phenylboronic acid (MPBA) recognition element for an enzyme-free glucose sensor. Introducing the amine groups into the Pt surface protects the stability of the Pt and extends the longevity of the electrode. A slightly acidic pH-driven boronate ester formation between glucose and boronic acid mechanism and the glucose combined electronic structure of MPBA/NH2@Pt/AgVO3 with its adsorption energy (−2.1 eV) has been scrutinized via density functional theory. Accelerated electron transfer (ks = 4.69 s−1) driven electrochemical oxidation of glucose sensor showed the higher detection limit (LOD) of 61.3 μM and the linear dynamic range from 0.05 to 22.0 mM. Glucose uptake assay of macrophage phenotypes between the healthy and insulin-resistant types provides an in-depth understanding of how glucose impairment affects the macrophage phenotypes. We also observed the M1-type macrophages have uptaken significantly larger amounts of glucose than the others (M0 and M2).