Fenton reaction-mediated fluorescence quenching of N-acetyl-L-cysteine-protected gold nanoclusters: analytical applications of hydrogen peroxide, glucose, and catalase detection.

Given the importance of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in many biological processes and its wide application in various industries, the demand for sensitive, accurate, and economical H2O2 sensors is high. In this study, we used Fenton reaction-stimulated fluorescence quenching of N-acetyl-L-cysteine-protected gold nanoclusters (NAC-AuNCs) as a reporter system for the determination of H2O2. After the experimental conditions were optimized, the sensing platform enabled the analysis of H2O2 with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.027 µM. As the glucose oxidase cascade leads to the generation of H2O2 and catalase catalyzes the decomposition of H2O2, these two biocatalytic procedures can be probed by the Fenton reaction-mediated quenching of NAC-AuNCs. The LOD for glucose was found to be 0.18 µM, and the linear range was 0.39-27.22 µM. The LOD for catalase was 0.002 U mL(-1), and the linear range was 0.01-0.3 U mL(-1). Moreover, the proposed sensing methods were successfully applied for human serum glucose detection and the non-invasive determination of catalase activity in human saliva, demonstrating their great potential for practical applications.

Low-dose polystyrene microplastics exposure impairs fertility in male mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity by affecting prostate function.

The harmful effects of microplastics (MPs) on male fertility are receiving more and more attention. However, the impact of low-dose MPs exposure on the reproductive function of male mice is still unclear. In this study, we exposed male mice to low-dose MPs (25-30 µg/kg body weight/day) or low-dose MPs combined with high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. Our results showed that low-dose MPs exposure or HFD feeding significantly reduced sperm quality and the number of offspring born, while low-dose MPs exposure combined with HFD feeding further enhanced the above effects. The combination of low-dose MPs exposure and HFD feeding resulted in a notable elevation of inflammatory level within the prostate of mice and induced apoptosis of prostate epithelium and a decrease in nutrients (zinc, citrate) in seminal plasma fluid. Our findings in this study could provide valuable clues for better understanding the influence of low-dose MPs exposure on the reproductive system under metabolic disorders and facilitate the development of the prevention of reproductive toxicity caused by MPs exposure.