Two-photon fluorescence imaging of intracellular hydrogen peroxide with chemoselective fluorescent probes

J Biomed Opt. 2013 Oct;18(10):106002. doi: 10.1117/1.JBO.18.10.106002.

Abstract

We present the application of two-photon fluorescence (TPF) imaging to monitor intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) production in brain cells. For selective imaging of H₂O₂ over other reactive oxygen species, we employed small-molecule fluorescent probes that utilize a chemoselective boronate deprotection mechanism. Peroxyfluor-6 acetoxymethyl ester detects global cellular H₂O₂ and mitochondria peroxy yellow 1 detects mitochondrial H₂O₂. Two-photon absorption cross sections for these H₂O₂ probes are measured with a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser in the wavelength range of 720 to 1040 nm. TPF imaging is demonstrated in the HT22 cell line to monitor both cytoplasmic H₂O₂ and localized H₂O₂ production in mitochondria. Endogenous cytoplasmic H₂O₂ production is detected with TPF imaging in rat astrocytes modified with d-amino acid oxidase. The TPF H₂O₂ imaging demonstrated that these chemoselective probes are powerful tools for the detection of intracellular H₂O₂.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Fluorescent Dyes / analysis*
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / analysis*
  • Intracellular Space / chemistry
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods*
  • Molecular Imaging / methods*
  • Optical Imaging
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Hydrogen Peroxide