Ti e a1 si laser confocal microscope

Zebrafish were obtained from the School of Life Sciences of Hunan Normal University (Changsha, China). The zebrafish were maintained in E3 embryo media (15 mM NaCl, 0.5 mM KCl, 1.0 mM MgSO₄, 1.0 mM CaCl₂, 0.15 mM KH₂PO₄, 0.05 mM Na₂HPO₄, 0.7 mM NaHCO₃, and 5–10% methylene blue, pH 7.5). In fluorescence imaging experiments, three-day-old zebrafish were incubated with 1 μM probe and Au@SiO₂ probe in E3 embryo media for 4 h and 24 h at 28 °C and later incubated in a solution containing 1.8 equiv. Hg²⁺ for 1 h at 28 °C, respectively. Subsequently, the samples were washed with PBS to remove remaining probes and examined using a TI-E + A1 SI Nikon laser confocal microscope.

For cell imaging studies, cells were seeded into a confocal dish and incubated at 37 °C in a CO₂ incubator for 2 h. After one day, the cells were washed three times with phosphate buffered saline (pH 7.4) and incubated with 0.5 μM probe or Au@SiO₂ probe in DMEM at 37 °C for 1 h and 6 h in a CO₂ incubator and later incubated in DMEM with 1.8 equiv. Hg(NO₃)₂ for 1 h. The cells were again washed thrice with PBS (pH 7.4) to remove the probe or Au@SiO₂ probe. Finally, the samples were observed under a TI-E + A1 SI Nikon laser confocal microscope and images were taken.