A novel naphthalimide-based fluorescent probe for the colorimetric and ratiometric detection of SO2 derivatives in biological imaging.

SO2 is a well-known signal molecule and one of reactive sulfur species, which closely participates in many metabolic processes. While unbalanced metabolism of sulfur dioxide can lead to serious complications of various diseases. Therefore, a rapid and accurate monitoring of SO2 derivatives with high selectivity and sensitivity would be beneficial for their bio-analytic studies. Herein, a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe (NG-TCF) based on ICT mechanism for monitoring SO2 was developed. The probe underwent a nucleophilic addition of HSO3-/SO32- to give rise to a 120 nm blue-shift dual-emission signal changes in enhanced green channel and subdued red channel under a single wavelength excitation. The probe showed fast response rate (within 7 min), good sensitivity (the detection limit is 1.53 µM), and specific response toward HSO3-/SO32- over other bio-species, including H2S and ClO-. Moreover, the probe can be applied for visual ratio imaging of exogenous and endogenous SO2 derivatives in living cells.

Correlation between vitamin D and cognitive function in patients with traumatic brain injury in China.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated changes in vitamin D levels in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients and the relationship between vitamin D levels and cognitive function. METHODS: Thirty-five TBI patients in our hospital were randomly selected, and baseline data were collected. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) plasma levels were determined within a month of hospitalization, and awareness and cognitive function were assessed using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), respectively, on the day of blood collection. The data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The MMSE and GCS scores were positively correlated (p < 0.05); higher MMSE scores were associated with higher GCS scores. Moreover, the total score was positively correlated with directional ability, memory, and attention, suggesting high internal consistency of the MMSE score, but no significant correlation with other indicators was observed. 25(OH)D was positively correlated with the injury site (p < 0.05), suggesting that frontal damage has a significant impact on the plasma level of 25(OH)D. CONCLUSION: The plasma vitamin D level in TBI patients may indicate frontal lobe damage. The overall plasma level of 25(OH)D in TBI patients was not significantly correlated with cognitive function, but the incidence of cognitive impairment was higher with 25(OH)D level between 10 and 30 ng/ml.