A versatile fluorescent probe for hydrogen peroxide in serotonergic neurons of living brains of mice with depression.

Depression, a prevalent mental illness, is intricately linked with the neurotransmitters in the brain, while serotonin as a crucial regulator of mood, energy levels, and memory, has been implicated in depression. So, the release of serotonin by serotonergic neurons plays a significant role in the development of depression. Notably, the foremost marker of oxidative stress, hydrogen peroxide (HO), can interfere with the functioning of serotonergic neurons and potentially contribute to depression.

Fluorescent Probes for Disease Diagnosis.

The identification and detection of disease-related biomarkers is essential for early clinical diagnosis, evaluating disease progression, and for the development of therapeutics. Possessing the advantages of high sensitivity and selectivity, fluorescent probes have become effective tools for monitoring disease-related active molecules at the cellular level and . In this review, we describe current fluorescent probes designed for the detection and quantification of key bioactive molecules associated with common diseases, such as organ damage, inflammation, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and brain disorders.

Tracing Superoxide Anion in Serotonergic Neurons of Living Mouse Brains with Depression by Small-Molecule Fluorescence Probes.

In brains, the serotonergic neurons are the unique resource of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which plays a pivotal role in the physiology of the brain. The dysfunction of serotonergic neurons caused by oxidative stress in the brain is closely related to the occurrence and development of various mental diseases, such as depression. As the biomarker of oxidative stress, the superoxide anion radical (O) can cause oxidative damage to proteins, nucleic acids and lipids, disturbing the function of neurons and brains.

Shedding Light on Lysosomal Malondialdehyde Affecting Vitamin B Transport during Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury.

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) is often accompanied by upregulation of homocysteine (Hcy). Excessive Hcy damages cerebral vascular endothelial cells and neurons, inducing neurotoxicity and even neurodegeneration. Normally, supplementation of vitamin B is an ideal intervention to reduce Hcy.

A new multi-parameter imaging platform for in vivo drug efficacy evaluation of ischemic stroke.

Ischemic stroke with high incidence and disability rate severely endangers human health. Current clinical treatment strategies are quite limited, new drugs for ischemic stroke are urgently needed. However, most existing methods for the efficacy evaluation of new drugs possess deficiencies of divorcing from the true biological context, single detection indicator and complex operations, leading to evaluation biases and delaying drug development process.

Hypochlorous Acid-Activated Multifunctional Fluorescence Platform for Depression Therapy and Antidepressant Efficacy Evaluation.

Current diagnosis of depression rests on the symptoms, so it still lacks objective criteria. Meanwhile, existing treatment of depression is dominated by antidepressants, which produce troublesome side effects and usually require months to achieve effect. Therefore, more reliable diagnostic criteria and effective therapy are urgently needed.

fluorescence imaging reveals that mitochondrial HO mediates lysosomal dysfunction in depression.

We constructed two fluorescent probes for monitoring HO in the mitochondria and lysosomes. Fluorescence imaging reveals that mitochondrial HO mediates reduced GCase activity in lysosomes in the brains of mice with depression. This work provides a powerful tool for understanding the pathogenesis of depression.