Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
Non-invasive In Vivo Fluorescence Optical Imaging of Inflammatory MMP Activity Using an Activatable Fluorescent Imaging Agent
Published on: May 8, 2017
An AIE-TICT fluorescence probe cascade responsive to H2S, polarity and viscosity to track microenvironment changes in
Liguo Ji1, Aoxiang Fu1, Yuying Zhang1
1Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Forensic Science Evidence, School of Forensic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Jinsui Road No. 601, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan Province, PR China.
Background:
Ischemia-reperfusion injury is a common cause of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The reoxygenation during reperfusion leads to an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). As an antioxidant, H2S can scavenge ROS to inhibit oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction, thus attenuating ischemia-reperfusion injury. In this process, the changes of cellular microenvironment (polarity or viscosity) have not been fully discussed. In order to real-time track the changes of cellular microenvironment during the treatment of ischemia-reperfusion injury with H2S. It is necessary to develop highly selective and sensitive probes that can cascade response to hydrogen sulfide and cellular microenvironment.
Results:
We designed and synthesized a fluorescent probe TPEC-DNBS which can produce cascade response to H2S and microenvironment. An intermediate TPEC-OH is produced after highly selective and sensitive response to H2S, which can further respond to polarity and viscosity. In addition, due to the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) effects, polarity can promote the fluorescence emission wavelength and intensity of TPEC-OH to produce double response characteristics, and its change trend (from weak green fluorescence at low polarity to strong red fluorescence at high polarity) is opposite to that of traditional polar probes (from strong green fluorescence at low polarity to weak red fluorescence at high polarity). Viscosity can only induce the change of fluorescence intensity. By constructing the cardiomyocyte model and hepatocyte model of ischemia-reperfusion, we further prove that after ischemia-reperfusion injury, the cells are in an environment of low polarity, and the microenvironment can be recovered after H2S treatment.
Significance:
An AIE-TICT fluorescence probe capable of cascading responses to H2S, polarity and viscosity was constructed by using tetraphenylethylene and coumarin moieties. This probe provides a more intuitive and convenient condition for real-time tracking the changes of cellular microenvironment (polarity or viscosity) before and after H2S treatment of ischemia-reperfusion injury.
