A tracer-type fluorescent probe for imaging adenosine triphosphate under the stresses of hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen peroxide in living cells.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a direct energy source in cells and the core of the biochemical system, and is closely related to various metabolic activities in living organisms. Therefore, designing a simple and rapid ATP detection method is significant to study its physiological function. Herein, a dual-channel fluorescent probe RhB-NA for the in situ imaging of ATP in living cells was designed and synthesized. When ATP bound to RhB-NA, the spirolactam in rhodamine B was induced to open, resulting in a new fluorescence response at 589 nm. Notably, in cell imaging, the treatment of HeLa cells with exogenous H2O2 and H2S, which have certain effects on the mitochondria, confirmed that RhB-NA could detect fluctuations in ATP levels after the mitochondrial state was affected. We believe that RhB-NA has far-reaching significance for studying certain physiological diseases caused by abnormal ATP levels.

An ICT-switched fluorescent probe for visualizing lipid and HClO in lipid droplets during ferroptosis.

Herein, we have designed and synthesized a fluorescent probe, LDs-ClO, which can detect hypochlorous acid and lipid accumulation simultaneously in lipid droplets of live RAW 264.7 cells. Cell ferroptosis was discovered to lead to an increase in HClO levels, and to possibly further stimulate accumulation of lipid. We expect the results of this work with LDs-ClO to promote the study of physiological and pathological processes related to lipid droplets and hypochlorite.

Small-Molecule Fluorescent Probes for Detecting Several Abnormally Expressed Substances in Tumors.

Malignant tumors have always been the biggest problem facing human survival, and a huge number of people die from cancer every year. Therefore, the identification and detection of malignant tumors have far-reaching significance for human survival and development. Some substances are abnormally expressed in tumors, such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nitroreductase (NTR), pH, biothiols (GSH, Cys, Hcy), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), hydrogen sulfide (H2O2), hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and NADH. Consequently, it is of great value to diagnose and treat malignant tumors due to the identification and detection of these substances. Compared with traditional tumor detection methods, fluorescence imaging technology has the advantages of an inexpensive cost, fast detection and high sensitivity. Herein, we mainly introduce the research progress of fluorescent probes for identifying and detecting abnormally expressed substances in several tumors.