Visualization of Endogenous Hypochlorite in Drug-Induced Liver Injury Mice via a Bioluminescent Probe Combined with Firefly Luciferase mRNA-Loaded Lipid Nanoparticles

Anal Chem. 2024 May 7;96(18):6978-6985. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c00008. Epub 2024 Apr 23.

Abstract

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a common liver disease with a high rate of morbidity, and its pathogenesis is closely associated with the overproduction of highly reactive hypochlorite (ClO-) in the liver. However, bioluminescence imaging of endogenous hypochlorite in nontransgenic natural mice remains challenging. Herein, to address this issue, we report a strategy for imaging ClO- in living cells and DILI mice by harnessing a bioluminescent probe formylhydrazine luciferin (ClO-Luc) combined with firefly luciferase (fLuc) mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). LNPs could efficiently deliver fLuc mRNA into living cells and in vivo, expressing abundant luciferase in the cytoplasm in situ. In the presence of ClO-, probe ClO-Luc locked by formylhydrazine could release cage-free d-luciferin through oxidation and follow-up hydrolysis reactions, further allowing for bioluminescence imaging. Moreover, based on the luciferase-luciferin system, it was able to sensitively and selectively detect ClO- in vitro with a limit of detection of 0.59 μM and successfully monitor the endogenous hypochlorite generation in the DILI mouse model for the first time. We postulate that this work provides a new method to elucidate the roles of ClO- in related diseases via bioluminescence imaging.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury* / diagnostic imaging
  • Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury* / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hypochlorous Acid* / metabolism
  • Lipids / chemistry
  • Liposomes*
  • Luciferases, Firefly* / genetics
  • Luciferases, Firefly* / metabolism
  • Luminescent Agents / chemistry
  • Luminescent Measurements*
  • Mice
  • Nanoparticles* / chemistry
  • Optical Imaging
  • RNA, Messenger* / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger* / metabolism

Substances

  • Hypochlorous Acid
  • Luciferases, Firefly
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Luminescent Agents
  • Lipids
  • Lipid Nanoparticles
  • Liposomes