Design of Activatable NIR-II Molecular Probe for In Vivo Elucidation of Disease-Related Viscosity Variations

Anal Chem. 2020 Mar 17;92(6):4177-4181. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c00634. Epub 2020 Mar 6.

Abstract

A clear elucidation of a disease-related viscosity change in vivo is significant yet highly challenging as well. Fluorescence imaging in the second near-infrared region (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) has gained increasing attention for observation in living organisms, but a viscosity-activatable fluorescent probe emitting at this region remains a vacancy. Herein, we report the first panel of a viscosity-activated NIR-II emissive fluorescent probe WD-X. By embedding different substituents into the WD-X platform and screening, we obtained an ideal probe, WD-NO2, which displayed the best combination of properties, including a 31-fold fluorescence enhancement in response to viscosity, insensitivity to environments (pH, polarity), and relatively high quantum yield (1.6% in glycerol). WD-NO2 was successfully applied to track the variation of viscosity in diabetes-induced liver injury in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / chemically induced
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / diagnostic imaging*
  • Fluorescent Dyes / administration & dosage
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemical synthesis
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry*
  • Infrared Rays
  • Injections, Intraperitoneal
  • Liver Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • Mice
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Molecular Structure
  • Optical Imaging*
  • Streptozocin
  • Viscosity

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Streptozocin