title: Ratiometric Photoacoustic Molecular Imaging for Methylmercury Detection in Living Subjects.
abstract: Photoacoustic molecular imaging is an emerging and promising diagnostic tool for heavy metal ions detection. Methylmercury (MeHg+) is one of the most potent neurotoxins, which damages the brain and nervous system of human beings through fish consumption. The development of a selective and sensitive method for MeHg+detection is highly desirable. In this Communication, we develope a chemoselective photoacoustic sensor (LP-hCy7) composed of the liposome (LP) and MeHg+-responsive near-infrared (NIR) cyanine dye (hCy7) for MeHg+detection within living subjects, such as zebrafish and mouse. The as-prepared LP-hCy7 nanoprobe displays unique dual-shift NIR absorbance peaks and produces a normalized turn-on response after the reaction of MeHg+and hCy7 through a mercury-promoted cyclization reaction. The absorbance intensities of LP-hCy7 nanoprobe at 690 and 860 nm are decreased and increased, respectively. The ratiometric photoacoustic signal (PA860/PA690) is noticeably increased in the presence of MeHg+. These findings not only provide a ratiometric photoacoustic molecular imaging probe for the detection of metal ions in vivo, but also provides a tool for spectroscopic photoacoustic molecular imaging.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, P. R. China.|Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China.|Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.|Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Hai-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yueqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaoyuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004396:Coloring Agents; D008628:Mercury; D051379:Mice; D057054:Molecular Imaging; D015335:Molecular Probes; D013057:Spectrum Analysis
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D015335:Molecular Probes; D008628:Mercury
keywords: methylmercury detection; photoacoustic imaging; ratiometric probe