Detection of Elevated Hydroxyl Radical Levels in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Sleep-Deprived Mice using Manganese-Doped Silicon Quantum Dots

Chronic sleep deprivation has been implicated in the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the brain, which in turn triggers oxidative stress and consequent brain disorders. Therefore, the precise quantification of ROS is of paramount importance to assess sleep deprivation-induced oxidative stress induced by sleep deprivation and elucidate the associated cerebral pathophysiology. In this work, we have applied previously synthesized water-soluble quantum dots Mn-SiQDs to specifically and accurately quantify hydroxyl radicals in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after one week of sleep deprivation. The results suggested that in the cerebrospinal fluid of brain, sleep deprivation triggered mainly the accumulation of hydroxyl radicals, while there was negligible change in the serum hydroxyl radicals of sleep-deprived mice. However, the serum ROS detection data revealed that sleep deprivation led to an increase in serum ROS of non-hydroxyl radicals in serum (e.g. 1O2, H2O2, O2−, ONOO− and HOCl). Further haematological analysis confirmed that the dysregulation of redox balance led to the abnormalities in blood haematological parameters. This work provides new methods employing quantum dots for the prospective diagnosis and detection of oxidative stress-generated cardiovascular or neurological diseases through quantum dots.