Bifunctional fluorescent probe revealing viscosity and SOin cell, zebrafish and NASH model.

Abstract

Clarifying the presence of viscosity and endogenous sulfur dioxide (SO) in mitochondria is crucial for advancing the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses. Nevertheless, the advancement of fluorescent probes that concurrently satisfy the criteria of mitochondrial viscosity and endogenous recognition of SOremains significantly insufficient. In this work, we have engineered and synthesized two probes ID-OH and BID-OH, which exhibit a ratio-type response to SOand an off-on fluorescence response to viscosity. Due to the superior selectivity coupled with its outstanding wavelength and fluorescence quantum yield, BID-OH has been effectively utilized for the detection of exogenous SO, endogenous SOand viscosity within living HepG2 cells. Additionally, BID-OH demonstrates the capability to offer comprehensive insights into the distribution of endogenous SOas it traverses through the transfer pathway in zebrafish. Notably, the remarkable capacity of BID-OH to differentiate between normal mice and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) mice has been demonstrated, indicating its potential as an excellent diagnostic tool for detecting SOlevels and viscosity under physiological conditions. It is anticipated that BID-OH will emerge as a valuable instrument for diagnosing mitochondrial irregularities, thereby contributing to the advancement of related medical research in this field.