Language
Country/Area
No result found
Do you know how FSCV can measure the concentrations of multiple neurotransmitters simultaneously in living organisms?
With the advancement of neuroscience, our understanding is no longer limited to a single function of the brain, but is gradually revealing its multiple complex biochemical processes. Fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) has become an important tool for measuring neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, and has demonstrated its excellent performance in in vivo experiments.
FSCV utilizes a fast scan rate of up to 1×10^6 V·s⁻¹, which enables rapid acquisition of voltammograms within milliseconds, ensuring high temporal resolution of this electrochemical technique.
FSCV works by using a tiny carbon fiber electrode that is inserted into living tissue or cells and rapidly changes voltage in a triangular wave. In the correct voltage range, the target compound will be repeatedly oxidized and reduced, resulting in the movement of electrons in the solution, ultimately generating a small amount of alternating current. By subtracting the background current, the researchers were able to create a voltage-current graph unique to each compound. These changes in current over time can be used to calculate the relative concentrations of compounds in solution.
FSCV is a powerful tool for detecting changes in chemical composition in vivo due to its chemical specificity, high resolution and non-invasiveness.
FSCV can be successfully applied in vivo primarily because it can be set to the reduction potential of electroactive compounds, which allows it to monitor multiple chemicals simultaneously. These electroactive compounds include, but are not limited to, dopamine, adrenaline, and serotonin, and even, in some cases, ascorbic acid, oxygen, and changes in hydrogen ions (pH) can be measured. This makes FSCV extremely promising for neuroscience research, especially for understanding the basic mechanisms of neurotransmission.
In terms of application, FSCV is particularly capable of monitoring dopamine concentration in vivo, with a sensitivity of up to 1 nM. With an acquisition rate of 10 Hz, FSCV is able to capture the dynamic process of neurotransmitter release and clearance, which has prompted scientists to explore the role of dopamine in learning and decision-making in greater depth. In addition, FSCV has been used to assess the effects of a variety of drugs on dopamine transmission, including classic stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamines, and opioids.
Monitoring changes in dopamine concentrations reveals how the brain encodes information during decision-making, which is crucial for understanding related behavioral and psychological activities.
The diversity and complexity of conductive materials give FSCV obvious advantages in research. In addition to dopamine, this technology has also been applied to the study of the release of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and serotonin. The researchers found that FSCV can effectively monitor the release of these neurotransmitters in chromosomal cells and their activity under anesthesia.
While FSCV has several advantages, it also has some challenges and limitations. First, the service life of the electrode will affect the accuracy of the data, and the probe used for a long time will lead to a decrease in sensitivity. In addition, FSCV can only measure electroactive compounds, and other methods must be sought for some non-electroactive enzymes. Exploring how to improve the resolution of FSCV and expand its application range will be one of the important directions of future research.
The ability to simultaneously measure multiple neurotransmitters in vivo makes FSCV not only an important tool in the field of neuroscience, but also has broad application prospects in biomedical research.
Overall, FSCV is not only an effective tool for exploring the mechanism of neural conduction, but also an important way to understand the dynamic changes of brain chemicals. As technology advances, will we be able to unlock more new secrets about brain function in the future?
