Ratiometric fluorescence monitoring of cerebral Cu based on coumarin-labeled DNA coupled with the Cu-induced oxidation of o-phenylenediamine.

A novel and facile ratiometric fluorescence method for evaluating Cu has been developed based on coumarin-labeled single-stranded DNA (C-ssDNA) coupled with the Cu-induced oxidation of o-phenylenediamine (OPD). By combining the microdialysis technique, the ratiometric fluorescence method has also been successfully exploited to monitor the cerebral Cu in the rat brain, promising new opportunities for studying the cerebral Cu-associated physiological and pathological events.