Zintrodes, multitrodes and uses thereof

摘要

Provided herein are zintrodes to measure intracranial free zinc levels in an individual or free zinc levels in solution. The zintrodes and multitrodes comprise a zinc chelator and a fluorophore or may comprise only a zinc-chelating fluorophore, an optical fiber having an optical tip, and a means of entrapping the zinc chelator and the fluorophore or the zinc-chelating fluorophore proximate to the optical tip within the zintrode. The zintrode may comprise a multitrode. Also provided are methods of real-time buffering of zinc ion levels in vivo in brain tissue to treat an excitotoxic neural injury using the zintrodes and multitrodes described herein. Additionally, provided herein are a system and method to measure pZn in solution.