The Oxidation-Induced Autofluorescence Hypothesis: Red Edge Excitation and Implications for Metabolic Imaging

Evidence of the protective effect of anti-pollution products against oxidative stress in skin ex vivo using EPR spectroscopy and autofluorescence measurements

The concentration of air pollution is gradually increasing every year so that daily skin exposure is unavoidable. Dietary supplements and topical formulations currently represent the protective strategies to guard against the effects of air pollution on the body and the skin. Unfortunately, there are not yet enough methods available to measure the effectiveness of anti-pollution products on skin. Here, we present two ex vivo methods for measuring the protective effect against air pollution of different cream formulations on the skin: Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and autofluorescence excited by 785 nm using a confocal Raman microspectrometer (CRM). Smoke from one cigarette was used as a model pollutant. EPR spectroscopy enables the direct measurement of free radicals in excised porcine skin after smoke exposure. The autofluorescence in the skin was measured ex vivo, which is an indicator of oxidative stress. Two antioxidants and a chelating agent in a base formulation and a commercial product containing an antioxidant mixture were investigated. The ex vivo studies show that the antioxidant epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in the base cream formulation provided the best protection against oxidative stress from smoke exposure for both methods.

Analysis of Microcystis aeruginosa physiology by spectral flow cytometry: Impact of chemical and light exposure

M. aeruginosa fluorescent changes were observed using a Cytek Aurora spectral flow cytometer that contains 5 lasers and 64 narrow band detectors located between 365 and 829 nm. Cyanobacteria were treated with different concentrations of H2O2 and then monitored after exposure between 1 and 8 days. The red fluorescence emission derived from the excitation of cyanobacteria with a yellow green laser (550 nm) was measured in the 652-669 nm detector while green fluorescence from excitation with a violet laser (405 nm) was measured in the 532-550 nm detector. The changes in these parameters were measured after the addition of H2O2. There was an initial increase in red fluorescence intensity at 24 hours. This was followed by a daily decrease in red fluorescence intensity. In contrast, green fluorescence increased at 24 hours and remained higher than the control for the duration of the 8-day study. A similar fluorescence intensity effect as H2O2 on M. aeruginosa fluorescence emissions was observed after exposure to acetylacetone, diuron (DCMU), peracetic acid, and tryptoline. Minimal growth was also observed in H2O2 treated cyanobacteria during exposure of H2O2 for 24 days. In another experiment, H2O2-treated cyanobacteria were exposed to high-intensity blue (14 mW) and UV (1 mW) lights to assess the effects of light stress on fluorescence emissions. The combination of blue and UV light with H2O2 had a synergistic effect on M. aeruginosa that induced greater fluorescent differences between control and treated samples than exposure to either stimulus individually. These experiments suggest that the early increase in red and green fluorescence may be due to an inhibition in the ability of photosynthesis to process photons. Further research into the mechanisms driving these increases in fluorescence is necessary.

Albumin nanoparticles with tunable ultraviolet-to-red autofluorescence for label-free cell imaging and selective biosensing of copper ion

Early and simple detection of aberrant cooper metabolism in diseases with neurological-manifestations and several other conditions, including cancer, becomes an urgent necessity. Instrumental methods used today are limited to high-cost equipment and reagents and demand highly qualified personnel. In this work, we report easy-to-use and cost-effective nano-sized sensors for the selective and quantitative detection of copper ion based on fluorescence quenching. Glutaraldehyde cross-linked albumin nanoparticles with tunable ultraviolet-to-red autofluorescence emissions are developed as dual-agents for sensing and imaging. These albumin nanoparticles show great selectivity towards copper ion when tested against a selection of biochemical components and other metal ions, and a limit of detection as low as 1.9 μM, relevant for sensing in clinical diagnosis, was determined. In addition, a lack of toxicity and good cellular uptake were observed and the ultraviolet-to-red intrinsic fluorescence of the albumin nanoparticles was preserved when tested in vitro on NIH:OVCAR3 cell line. Preliminary studies confirm the albumin nanoparticles' ability to detect Cu²⁺in vitro and establishes their potential for future practical use.

Red- and Near-Infrared-Excited Autofluorescence as a Marker for Acute Oxidative Stress in Skin Exposed to Cigarette Smoke Ex Vivo and In Vivo

Air pollution is increasing worldwide and skin is exposed to high levels of pollution daily, causing oxidative stress and other negative consequences. The methods used to determine oxidative stress in the skin are invasive and non-invasive label-free in vivo methods, which are severely limited. Here, a non-invasive and label-free method to determine the effect of cigarette smoke (CS) exposure on skin ex vivo (porcine) and in vivo (human) was established. The method is based on the measurement of significant CS-exposure-induced enhancement in red- and near-infrared (NIR)-excited autofluorescence (AF) intensities in the skin. To understand the origin of red- and NIR-excited skin AF, the skin was exposed to several doses of CS in a smoking chamber. UVA irradiation was used as a positive control of oxidative stress in the skin. The skin was measured with confocal Raman microspectroscopy before CS exposure, immediately after CS exposure, and after skin cleaning. CS exposure significantly increased the intensity of red- and NIR-excited skin AF in a dose-dependent manner in the epidermis, as confirmed by laser scanning microscopy AF imaging and fluorescence spectroscopy measurements. UVA irradiation enhanced the intensity of AF, but to a lower extent than CS exposure. We concluded that the increase in red- and NIR-excited AF intensities of the skin after CS exposure could clearly be related to the induction of oxidative stress in skin, where skin surface lipids are mainly oxidized.

Protein-Mediated Carotenoid Delivery Suppresses the Photoinducible Oxidation of Lipofuscin in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Lipofuscin of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells is a complex heterogeneous system of chromophores which accumulates as granules during the cell's lifespan. Lipofuscin serves as a source of various cytotoxic effects linked with oxidative stress. Several age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration of the retina, as well as some severe inherited eye pathologies, are accompanied by a significant increase in lipofuscin granule concentration. The accumulation of carotenoids in the RPE could provide an effective antioxidant protection against lipofuscin cytotoxic manifestations. Given the highly lipophilic nature of carotenoids, their targeted delivery to the vulnerable tissues can potentially be assisted by special proteins. In this study, we demonstrate how protein-mediated delivery of zeaxanthin using water-soluble Bombyx mori carotenoid-binding protein (BmCBP-ZEA) suppresses the photoinducible oxidative stress in RPE cells caused by irradiation of lipofuscin with intense white light. We implemented fluorescence lifetime imaging of the RPE cell culture ARPE-19 fed with lipofuscin granules and then irradiated by white light with and without the addition of BmCBP-ZEA. We demonstrate that after irradiation the mean fluorescence lifetime of lipofuscin significantly increases, while the presence of BmCBP-ZEA at 200 nM concentration suppresses the increase in the average lifetime of lipofuscin fluorescence, indicating an approx. 35% inhibition of the oxidative stress. This phenomenon serves as indirect yet important evidence of the efficiency of the protein-mediated carotenoid delivery into pigment epithelium cells.

Multifarious analytical capabilities of the UV/Vis protein fluorescence in blood plasma

Autofluorescence of blood plasma has been broadly considered as a prospective disease screening method. However, the assessment of such intrinsic fluorescence is mostly phenomenological, and its origin is still not fully understood, complicating its use in the clinical practice. Here we present the detailed evaluation of analytical capabilities, variability, and formation of blood plasma protein fluorescence based on the open dataset of excitation-emission matrices measured for ∼300 patients with suspected colorectal cancer, and our supporting model experiments. Using high-resolution size-exclusion chromatography coupled with comprehensive spectral analysis, we demonstrate, for the first time, the dominant role of HSA in the formation of blood plasma fluorescence in the visible spectral range (excitation wavelength >350 nm), presumably caused by its oxidative modifications. Furthermore, the diagnostic value of the tryptophan emission, as well as of the tyrosine fluorescence and visible fluorescence of proteins is shown by building a tree-based classification model that uses a small subset of physically interpretable fluorescence features for distinguishing between the control group and cancer patients with >80% accuracy. The obtained results extend current understanding and approaches used for the analysis of blood plasma fluorescence and pave the way for novel autofluorescence-based disease screening methods.

Fluorescence saturation imaging microscopy: molecular fingerprinting in living cells using two-photon absorption cross section as a contrast mechanism

Imaging of molecular-specific photophysical parameters such as fluorescence intensity, emission band shape, or fluorescence decay is widely used in biophysics. Here we propose a method for quantitative mapping of another molecular-specific parameter in living cells, two-photon absorption cross section, based on the fluorescence saturation effect. Using model dye solutions and cell culture, we show that the analysis of the fluorescence signal dependencies on the intensity of two-photon excitation within the range typical for routine two-photon microscopy experiments allows one to reconstruct two-photon absorption cross section maps across the sample. We believe that the absorption cross section contrast visualized by the proposed fluorescence saturation imaging microscopy could be a new tool for studying processes in living cells and tissues.

Carotenoids in Human SkinIn Vivo: Antioxidant and Photo-Protectant Role against External and Internal Stressors

The antioxidant system of the human body plays a crucial role in maintaining redox homeostasis and has an important protective function. Carotenoids have pronounced antioxidant properties in the neutralization of free radicals. In human skin, carotenoids have a high concentration in the stratum corneum (SC)-the horny outermost layer of the epidermis, where they accumulate within lipid lamellae. Resonance Raman spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy are optical methods that are used to non-invasively determine the carotenoid concentration in the human SC in vivo. It was shown by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy that carotenoids support the entire antioxidant status of the human SC in vivo by neutralizing free radicals and thus, counteracting the development of oxidative stress. This review is devoted to assembling the kinetics of the carotenoids in the human SC in vivo using non-invasive optical and spectroscopic methods. Factors contributing to the changes of the carotenoid concentration in the human SC and their influence on the antioxidant status of the SC in vivo are summarized. The effect of chemotherapy on the carotenoid concentration of the SC in cancer patients is presented. A potential antioxidant-based pathomechanism of chemotherapy-induced hand-foot syndrome and a method to reduce its frequency and severity are discussed.

Detection of HOCl-driven degradation of the pericardium scaffolds by label-free multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging

Artificial biomaterials can significantly increase the rate of tissue regeneration. However, implantation of scaffolds leads not only to accelerated tissue healing but also to an immune response of the organism, which results in the degradation of the biomaterial. The synergy of the immune response and scaffold degradation processes largely determines the efficiency of tissue regeneration. Still, methods suitable for fast, accurate and non-invasive characterization of the degradation degree of biomaterial are highly demandable. Here we show the possibility of monitoring the degradation of decellularized bovine pericardium scaffolds under conditions mimicking the immune response and oxidation processes using multiphoton tomography combined with fluorescence lifetime imaging (MPT-FLIM). We found that the fluorescence lifetimes of genipin-induced cross-links in collagen and oxidation products of collagen are prominent markers of oxidative degradation of scaffolds. This was verified in model experiments, where the oxidation was induced with hypochlorous acid or by exposure to activated neutrophils. The fluorescence decay parameters also correlated with the changes of micromechanical properties of the scaffolds as assessed using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Our results suggest that FLIM can be used for quantitative assessments of the properties and degradation of the scaffolds essential for the wound healing processes in vivo.

Visible-light and near-infrared fluorescence and surface-enhanced Raman scattering point-of-care sensing and bio-imaging: a review

This review article deals with the concepts, principles and applications of visible-light and near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) in in vitro point-of-care testing (POCT) and in vivo bio-imaging. It has discussed how to utilize the biological transparency windows to improve the penetration depth and signal-to-noise ratio, and how to use surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to amplify fluorescence and SERS signals. This article has highlighted some plasmonic fluorescence and SERS probes. It has also reviewed the design strategies of fluorescent and SERS sensors in the detection of metal ions, small molecules, proteins and nucleic acids. Particularly, it has provided perspectives on the integration of fluorescent and SERS sensors into microfluidic chips as lab-on-chips to realize point-of-care testing. It has also discussed the design of active microfluidic devices and non-paper- or paper-based lateral flow assays for in vitro diagnostics. In addition, this article has discussed the strategies to design in vivo NIR fluorescence and SERS bio-imaging platforms for monitoring physiological processes and disease progression in live cells and tissues. Moreover, it has highlighted the applications of POCT and bio-imaging in testing toxins, heavy metals, illicit drugs, cancers, traumatic brain injuries, and infectious diseases such as COVID-19, influenza, HIV and sepsis.

Biochemical impact of solar radiation exposure on human keratinocytes monitored by Raman spectroscopy; effects of cell culture environment

Understanding and amelioration of the effects of solar radiation exposure are critical in preventing the occurrence of skin cancer. Towards this end, many studies have been conducted in 2D cell culture models under simplified and unrealistic conditions. 3D culture models better capture the complexity of in vivo physiology, although the effects of the 3D extracellular matrix have not been well studied. Monitoring the instantaneous and resultant cellular responses to exposure, and the influence of the 3D environment, could provide an enhanced understanding of the fundamental processes of photocarcinogenesis. This work presents an analysis of the biochemical impacts of simulated solar radiation (SSR) occurring in immortalised human epithelial keratinocytes (HaCaT), in a 3D skin model, compared to 2D culture. Cell viability was monitored using the Alamar Blue colorimetric assay (AB), and the impact of the radiation exposure, at the level of the biomolecular constituents (nucleic acids and proteins), were evaluated through the combination of Raman microspectroscopy and multivariate statistical analysis. The results suggest that SSR exposure induces alterations of the conformational structure of DNA as an immediate impact, whereas changes in the protein signature are primarily seen as a subsequent response.

Indocyanine green dye based bimodal contrast agent tested by photoacoustic/fluorescence tomography setup

Multimodal imaging systems are in high demand for preclinical research, experimental medicine, and clinical practice. Combinations of photoacoustic technology with other modalities including fluorescence, ultrasound, MRI, OCT have been already applied in feasibility studies. Nevertheless, only the combination of photoacoustics with ultrasound in a single setup is commercially available now. A combination of photoacoustics and fluorescence is another compelling approach because those two modalities naturally complement each other. Here, we presented a bimodal contrast agent based on the indocyanine green dye (ICG) as a single signalling compound embedded in the biocompatible and biodegradable polymer shell. We demonstrate its remarkable characteristics by imaging using a commercial photoacoustic/fluorescence tomography system (TriTom, PhotoSound Technologies). It was shown that photoacoustic signal of the particles depends on the amount of dye loaded into the shell, while fluorescence signal depends on the total amount of dye per particle. For the first time to our knowledge, a commercial bimodal photoacoustic/fluorescence setup was used for characterization of ICG doped polymer particles. Additionally, we conducted cell toxicity studies for these particles as well as studied biodistribution over time in vivo and ex vivo using fluorescent imaging. The obtained results suggest a potential for the application of biocompatible and biodegradable bimodal contrast agents as well as the integrated photoacoustic/fluorescence imaging system for preclinical and clinical studies.

Lifetime-Engineered Ruby Nanoparticles (Tau-Rubies) for Multiplexed Imaging of μ-Opioid Receptors

To address the growing demand for simultaneous imaging of multiple biomarkers in highly scattering media such as organotypic cell cultures, we introduce a new type of photoluminescent nanomaterial termed "tau-ruby" composed of ruby nanocrystals (Al₂O₃:Cr³⁺) with tunable emission lifetime. The lifetime tuning range from 2.4 to 3.2 ms was achieved by varying the Cr³⁺ dopant concentration from 0.8% to 0.2%, affording facile implementation of background-free detection. We developed inexpensive scalable production of tau-ruby characterized by bright emission, narrow spectrum (693 ± 2 nm), and virtually unlimited photostability upon excitation with affordable excitation/detection sources, noncytotoxic and insensitive to microenvironmental fluctuations. By functionalizing the surface of tau-rubies with targeting antibodies, we obtained different biomarkers suitable for multiplexed lifetime imaging. As a proof of principle, three tau-ruby bioprobes, characterized by three mean lifetimes, were deployed to label three μ-opioid receptor species expressed on transfected cancer cells, each fused to a unique epitope, so that three types of cells were lifetime-encoded. Robust decoding of photoluminescent signals that report on each cell type was achieved by using a home-built lifetime imaging system and resulted in high-contrast multiplexed lifetime imaging of the cells.

Photobiology and Endogenous Fluorophore Based Applications, from Natural Environment to Biomedicine to Improve Human Life

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In vivo non-invasive staining-free visualization of dermal mast cells in healthy, allergy and mastocytosis humans using two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging

Mast cells (MCs) are multifunctional cells of the immune system and are found in skin and all major tissues of the body. They contribute to the pathology of several diseases including urticaria, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and mastocytosis where they are increased at lesional sites. Histomorphometric analysis of skin biopsies serves as a routine method for the assessment of MC numbers and their activation status, which comes with major limitations. As of now, non-invasive techniques to study MCs in vivo are not available. Here, we describe a label-free imaging technique to visualize MCs and their activation status in the human papillary dermis in vivo. This technique uses two-photon excited fluorescence lifetime imaging (TPE-FLIM) signatures, which are different for MCs and other dermal components. TPE-FLIM allows for the visualization and quantification of dermal MCs in healthy subjects and patients with skin diseases. Moreover, TPE-FLIM can differentiate between two MC populations in the papillary dermis in vivo-resting and activated MCs with a sensitivity of 0.81 and 0.87 and a specificity of 0.85 and 0.84, respectively. Results obtained on healthy volunteers and allergy and mastocytosis patients indicate the existence of other MC subpopulations within known resting and activated MC populations. The developed method may become an important tool for non-invasive in vivo diagnostics and therapy control in dermatology and immunology, which will help to better understand pathomechanisms involving MC accumulation, activation and degranulation and to characterize the effects of therapies that target MCs.

Melanin distribution from the dermal-epidermal junction to the stratum corneum: non-invasive in vivo assessment by fluorescence and Raman microspectroscopy

The fate of melanin in the epidermis is of great interest due to its involvement in numerous physiological and pathological processes in the skin. Melanin localization can be assessed ex vivo and in vivo using its distinctive optical properties. Melanin exhibits a characteristic Raman spectrum band shape and discernible near-infrared excited (NIR) fluorescence. However, a detailed analysis of the capabilities of depth-resolved confocal Raman and fluorescence microspectroscopy in the evaluation of melanin distribution in the human skin is lacking. Here we demonstrate how the fraction of melanin at different depths in the human skin in vivo can be estimated from its Raman spectra (bands at 1,380 and 1,570 cm-1) using several procedures including a simple ratiometric approach, spectral decomposition and non-negative matrix factorization. The depth profiles of matrix factorization components specific to melanin, collagen and natural moisturizing factor provide information about their localization in the skin. The depth profile of the collagen-related matrix factorization component allows for precise determination of the dermal-epidermal junction, i.e. the epidermal thickness. Spectral features of fluorescence background originating from melanin were found to correlate with relative intensities of the melanin Raman bands. We also hypothesized that NIR fluorescence in the skin is not originated solely from melanin, and the possible impact of oxidized species should be taken into account. The ratio of melanin-related Raman bands at 1,380 and 1,570 cm-1 could be related to melanin molecular organization. The proposed combined analysis of the Raman scattering signal and NIR fluorescence could be a useful tool for rapid non-invasive in vivo diagnostics of melanin-related processes in the human skin.