Table Of ContentION-SELECTIVE MICROELECTRODES
ADV ANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY
Editorial Board:
Nathan Back State Unirersity of New York at Buffalo
N. R. Di Luzio Tulane University School of Medicine
Bernard Halpern College de France and Institute of Immuno·Biology
Ephraim Katchalski The Weizmann Institute of Science
David Kritchevsky Wistar Institute
Abel Lajtha New York State Research Institute for Neurochemistry and Drug Addiction
Rodolfo Paoletti University of Milan
Recent Volumes in this Series
Volume 40
METAL IONS IN BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS: Studies of SOllie Biochemical aud
Environmental Problems
Edited by Sanat K. Dahr • 1973
Volume 41A
PURINE METABOLlS:\IIN MAN: Enzymes and Metabolic Pathways
Edited by O. Sperling, A. De Vries, and J. B. Wyn!(aarden' 1974
Volume 41B
PURINE METABOLlS:\l IN MAN: Biochemistry and PharnlacolollY of Pric Acid '\fetaholism
Edited by O. Sperlinll, A. De Vries, and J. B. Wynllaarden • 1974
Volume 42
IMMOBILIZED BIOCHEMICALS AND AFFINITY CHROMATOGRAPHY
Edited by R. B. Dunlap' 1974
Volume 43
ARTERIAL MESENCHYME AND ARTERIOSCLEROSIS
Edited by William D. Wagner and Thomas B. r.Jarkson • 1974
Volume 44
CONTROL OF GENE EXPRESSION
Edited by Alexander Kohn and Adam Shatkay • 1974
Volume 45
THE IMMUNOGLOBULIN A SYSTEM
Edited by Jiri Mestecky and Alexander R. Lawton· 1974
Volume 46
PARENTERAL NUTRITION IN INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD
Edited by Hans Henning Bode and Joseph B. Warshaw. 1974
Volume 47
CONTROLLED RELEASE OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE AGENTS
Edited by A. C. Tanquary and R. E. Lacey. 1974
Volume 48
PROTEIN-METAL INTERACTIONS
Edited by Mendel Friedman. 1974
Volume 49
NUTRITION AND MALNUTRITION: Identification and Measurement
Edited by Alexander F. Roche and Frank Falkner. 19i4
Volume 50
ION.SELECTIVE MICRO ELECTRODES
Edited by Herbert J. Berman and Normand C. Hebert. 1974
ION-SELECTIVE
MICROELECTRODES
Edited by
Herbert J. Berman
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
and
Normand C. Hebert
Microelectrodes, Inc.
Londonderry, New Hampshire
PLENUM PRESS • NEW YORK AND LONDON
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Workshop on Ion·Selective Microelectrodes, Boston University, 1973.
Ion·selective microelectrodes.
(Advances in experimental medicine and biology, v. 50)
Includes bibliographical references.
1. Electrodes, Ion selective-Congresses. I. Berman, Herbert J., ed. II.
Hebert, Normand c., ed. III. Title. IV. Series. [DNLM: 1. Biomedical engi·
neering-Congresses. WIAD559 v. 50 1973 / TK7874 W926i 1973)
QD571.W7 1973 541'.3724 74·14914
ISBN-l3: 978-1-4615-9025-5 e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4615-9023-1
DOl: 10.1007/978-1-4615-9023-1
Proceedings of a Workshop on Ion·Selective Miuoelectrodps,
held June 4·5, 1973, at Boston University.
iD 1974 Plpnulll Press, New York
Sotlcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1974
A Division of Plenum Publishing Corporation
227 West 17th Street, New York, N.Y.I0011
United Kingdom edition published by Plenum Press, London
A Division of Plenum Publishing Company, Ltd.
la Lowl'r John Street. London WIR 3PD, England
All rights reserved
No part of this hook may he reproducl'd, storen in a retrif'val system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, f'lectronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,
rl'cordin!!. or otherwise, without writtl'n pl'rmission from thl' Publisher
Preface
pH and ion-selective microelectrodes are rapidly finding an
increasing number of applications in the study and control of living
(and nonliving) systems. They are unique in their capacity to mea
sure chemical species without altering natural or controlled envir
onmental conditions. Furthermore, these potentiometric tools mea
sure the activity of the chemical species in contrast to conven
tional ones that measure total concentration.
The "Workshop on Ion-Selective Microelectrodes" is designed to
provide an insight into the principles, theory, fabrication, tech
niques, present limitations, goals, and applications of some of
these tools.
The importance and types of microelectrodes and guidelines for
their application in biological systems are discussed by Berman.
Their present limitations are reviewed by Durst. He warns that
their use in analyzing living matter should be approached with
caution because of the ill-defined nature of biologic systems.
Techniques are presented next for the fabrication of pH (Hebert),
antimony (Green and Giebisch, and Malnic et al.), oxygen (Whalen),
then single-barrelled (Wright, Walker and Ladle, Morris and
Krnjevic) and double barrelled (Zeuthen et al., and Khuri) potassium
and chloride liquid ion-exchanger microelectrodes. Difficulties
with and fabrication of reference and glucose electrodes are
covered, respectively, by Durst and Wright, and Bessman and Schultz.
Applications of pH and ion-selective microelectrodes are
described in microanalysis (Wright), measurement of intracellular
ion activity and calculation of equilibrium potentials (Brown and
Kunze), and then studies of the kidney (Wright, Malnic et al., and
Khuri), brain (Zeuthen et al., Morris and Krnjevic), frog heart
(Walker and Ladle), and human skeletal muscle (Filler and Das).
In addition, actual and potential clinical applications, respec
tively, of pH (Filler and Das) and glucose (Bessman and Schultz)
electrodes are reviewed.
v
vi
PREFACE
It is the hope of the organizers, participants and sponsors,
The National Heart and Lung Institute, The Microcirculatory Society,
and The Host Institute, Boston University, that publication of the
Workshop will focus attention on the potential of this new and
rapidly developing area, and on the requisite precautions for the
proper use of ion-selective microelectrodes in the study of com
plex systems.
The Editors
Con~n~
I. Theory, Potential and Existing State of Development
1. Perspective: Ion-Selective Microelectrodes: Their
Potential in the Study of Living Matter in vivo
Herbert J Berman .. 3
o 0 0 •••••••• 0 • ••
2. Ion-Selective Electrode Response in Biologic
Fluids
Richard A. Durst ••••• 13
3. Glass Microelectrodes for pH
Normand C. Hebert •••• 23
4. Some Problems with an Intracellular P02 Electrode
William J. Whalen ••• • • • • • • • • • • 39
5. Some Problems with the Antimony Microelectrode
R. Green and G. Giebisch • • • • • • • • • • 43
II. Intracellular Applications
6. Ionic Activity in Identifiable Aplysia Neurons
Arthur M. Brown and Diana L. Kunze • • • • • 57
III. Kidney
7. Use of Potassium Ion-Exchanger Electrode for
Microanalysis
Fred S. Wright • • • . • . • • • • . • 77
8. Kinetic Analysis of Renal Tubular Acidification
By Antimony Microelectrodes
Gerhard Malnic, M. Mello Aires
and A.C. Cassola • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • .• 89
viii CONTENTS
9. Electrochemical Potentials of Potassium and
Chloride in the Proximal Renal Tubules of
Necturus maculosus
Raja N. Khuri •••• 109
IV. Brain
10. Some Measurements of Extracellular Potassium
Activity in the Mammalian Central Nervous
System
Mary E. Morris and K. Krnjevic • • • • • • • • •• 129
11. Microelectrode Registration of Ion Activity
in Brain
Thomas Zeuthen, R.C. Hiam and I.A. Silver 145
V. Myocardium
12. Intracellular Potassium and Chloride Activities
in Frog Heart Muscle
John L. Walker and Roger O. Ladle 159
VI. C1ini~al Applications
13. Muscle pH, P02, PC02 Monitoring: A Review of
Laboratory and Clinical Evaluations
Robert M. Filler and John B. Das • 175
14. Progress Toward a Glucose Sensor for the
Artificial Pancreas
Samuel P. Bessman and Robert D. Schultz 189
Index 199
I. Theory, Potential and
Existing State of Development
Perspective: Ion-Selective Microelectrodes: Their Potential in
the Study of Living Matter In Vivo*
Herbert J. Berman
Department of Biology
Boston University
Boston, Mass. 02215
Work with ion-selective macro- and microelectrodes is rapidly
evolving into a new specialty area in biology. The inherent ad
vantages of the approach are basic: it enables one to measure act
ivity of an ionic species directly, as opposed to concentration,
and it does this simply, quickly, and in the presence of numerous
other components in a complex system, negating the need of first
isolating the molecular or ionic species of interest. Interfering
species can be compensated for in most cases. Selective microelec
trodes have the additional unique potential of making measurements
of ionic species possible for the first time in vivo under condi
tions that approach normalcy, and, in addition-,-iu-a-continuous
manner. Net reactions can therefore be followed in vivo. In con
trast, most biochemical measurements today are based on in vitro
procedures that are nonphysiologic. Furthermore, they are frequent
ly limited to only one point in time. Undoubtedly piercing a cell
with a microelectrode can alter its functional state. But, as has
been debated in neuro- and electrophysiology, if the microelectrodes
are sufficiently fine and the area entered small with respect to the
total cell, then the injury should be negligible and the measured
activity should approximate that present in the normal living sys
tem.
*The Organizers and Participants of the "Workshop on Ion-S~lec
tive Microelectrodes" acknowledge with thanks sponsorship by the
Microcirculatory Society and Boston University, and support by the
National Heart and Lung Institute, Labtron, Microelectrodes, Inc.,
and the Transidyne General Corporation.
3
