Different neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD), and others are related to the mechanism of release of certain molecules in the body like neuropeptides and some types of neurotransmitters. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), the most abundant peptide in the human body, is related to the process of food intake, blood pressure, cognition, stress, learning, and memory. The similarity between structures of different peptides makes them difficult to detect using conventional techniques such as microdialysis coupled with mass spectrometry, taking minutes to be detected. In this project, aptamer-modified gold electrodes have been used to detect different concentrations of NPY. The use of the aptamer allows the binding with NPY molecules that produce conformational changes in the aptamer and is monitored with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), a technique with high sensitivity and time resolution. A methylene blue (MB) redox label probe was added to the aptamer measuring changes in current (µA) using square wave voltammetry (SWV). Changes in the electrochemical responses of MB and the capacitance of the aptamer-modified electrodes to concentrations of 1pg/mL to 1000pg/mL of NPY gave us a better understanding of the use of SWV and EIS, measuring the adsorption of NPY at the surface of the electrode. The effects of different aptamers with different affinities with NPY were also measured. Significance was determined at p &lt; 0.05 using Two-way ANOVA with a Dunnett’s post-test. The detection of pg/mL in aptamer-modified electrodes was successful using SWV and EIS and it can be a great alternative to measure NPY in sweat.

Electrochemical analysis of neuropeptide Y using NPY-specific aptamers and methylene blue redox label

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