Russian scientists have developed a new tool (A new method for early diagnosis of hypertension) for early detection of high blood pressure. They used surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy supported by silver nanoparticles to determine the molecular changes induced by high blood pressure in blood cells during the early stages of the disease.
The study was published in Biosensors.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. High blood pressure or hypertension is one of the strongest risk factors for heart disease, leading to organ hypoxia and its damage, such as heart attack, stroke, vasculopathy and nephropathy.
Hypoxic conditions can develop as a result of changes in blood pressure caused by the formation of vessels or negative changes in the binding of hemoglobin for oxygen, resulting in a decrease in the ability of hemoglobin to transport and release oxygen to the tissues of the body part.
Identifying and tracking such changes that occur at the cellular level can help to develop new tools for (A new method for early diagnosis of hypertension) early detection and targeted therapy for individualization.
A group of scientists from NUST “MISIS”, Moscow State University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and the University of Copenhagen proposed a new approach for the selective study of hemoglobin and erythrocytes in SERS using a colloidal solution of silver nanoparticles and nanostructured silver up.
“The artificial surfaces were obtained by dissolving 0.3 g of silver nitrate in 40 ml of water, and then adding 30 ml of 20% sodium hydroxide solution. Then, the resulting solution is washed, then add 5 ml of 25% aqueous ammonia and 25 ml of water. The solution obtained is sprayed on the slide and subjected to heat treatment. These types of materials allow us to make Raman scattering of particles close to the surface of the material,” says Georgi Maksimov, a professor at the Department of Materials Science. and Technology at MISIS University said.
Researchers applied plasmonic SERS nanosensors to detect changes in erythrocyte properties in normotensive and hypertensive rats. They can detect changes in the characteristics of erythrocytes in high blood pressure, such as a decrease in the water content of the erythrocyte plasma membrane. One of the explanations for this phenomenon is the increase in cholesterol levels. An increase in cholesterol leads to a decrease in the moisture content of the skin and changes in erythrocyte function.
For the first time, scientists found a decrease in the movement of heme carriers and hemoglobin in high blood pressure, which is impossible to detect by other methods. Researchers believe that this may be due to the increase in the thickness of the skin, which can reduce the ability of heme to adapt to oxygen changes and affect the combination of hemoglobin and oxygen. This in turn can impair the delivery of oxygen to the body in the case of high blood pressure.
The proposed SERS method can be used to develop new diagnostic tools to detect early disease and to evaluate treatment options for heart disease and heart disease and beyond, the researchers say.
