Spectroscopic determination of cholinesterase activity and inhibition in sol-gel media

Biological activity of cholinesterases can be determined by optically monitoring the enzymatic reaction with indophenyl acetate, (N-4'-acetoxyphenyl)-4-quinone imine. At pH 8.0 cholinesterases hydrolyze this yellow dye to yield a blue reaction product. Cholinesterase inhibitors reduce the rate of this hydrolysis. Thus, by monitoring absorbance of the hydrolysis product at its maximum (630 nm) as a function of time, reaction rates of both cholinesterase activity and cholinesterase inhibition may be quantified spectroscopically. Using this technique, we measured the enzymatic activity of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) molecules encapsulated in tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS) silicate gel-glass prepared by hydrolysis and condensation. This activity is reduced, in a concentration-dependent manner, by the reversible cholinesterase inhibitors 1,5-bis(4-allyldimethyl-ammoniumphenyl) pentan-3-one dibromide (BADAPP) and 9-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine (THA; tacrine, Cognex). The gel-glasses are rigid and compact, transparent, and porous enough to allow reagents to diffuse in and out.