Real-time optical imaging of the hypoxic status in hemangioma endothelial cells during propranolol therapy

Yue Wu; Xiaojuan Yang; Mingrui Zhai; Yi Chen; Xiaoya Lu; Jiandong Ju; Huanqing Zhang; Guanduo Wang; Zhe Zhang; Baocun Zhu; Xuan Wang; Zhanwei Chen; Shengyun Huang

doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.995745

Real-time optical imaging of the hypoxic status in hemangioma endothelial cells during propranolol therapy

Front Oncol. 2022 Oct 4:12:995745. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.995745. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Yue Wu¹, Xiaojuan Yang¹, Mingrui Zhai², Yi Chen¹, Xiaoya Lu¹, Jiandong Ju¹, Huanqing Zhang¹, Guanduo Wang¹, Zhe Zhang², Baocun Zhu³, Xuan Wang^{1

4}, Zhanwei Chen^{1

4}, Shengyun Huang^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
² Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
³ School of Water Conservancy and Environment, University of Jinan, Jinan, China.
⁴ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.

Abstract

Infantile hemangioma (IH) is the most common microvascular tumor of infancy involving the area of head and neck. One of the most important independent risk factors of IH is the hypoxia microenvironment. Fluorescent chemosensor provides a noninvasive intervention, high spatiotemporal resolution, ultrasensitive response, and real-time feedback approach to reveal the hypoxic status of cells. Our research group developed an ultrasensitive fluorescent chemosensor, HNT-NTR, and investigated the potential ability of imaging the hypoxic status of hemangioma-derived endothelial cells (HemECs). In this study, we successfully visualized the propranolol (PRN) treatment in HemECs using NHT-NTR with "Turn-off" sensing method. This chemosensor exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity for optical imaging of hypoxic status with fast responsiveness, real-time feedback and durable photostability of the fluorescent signal. It was also confirmed that HNT-NTR could monitor nitroreductase in vivo. Paramountly, we expected this chemosensor to offer an available optical method for imaging of the hypoxic status and visualizing the therapeutic status of PRN therapy in IH with the hypoxia-imaging capability.

Keywords: fluorescence imaging; fluorescent probe; hemangioma; hypoxic status; propranolol therapy.