Development of an effective H2S-activatable fluorescent probe for imaging in drug-induced living cells†
Abstract
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a toxic gas signaling molecule which plays multiple physiological regulatory roles in both physiological and pathological processes. A novel fluorescent probe T1 is designed and synthesized for detecting H2S in biological systems. Based on the ICT mechanism, thiolysis of the 2,4-dinitrophenyl ether which is used as the fluorescence quenching group occurs after the addition of H2S, releasing the original fluorescent group and accompanied by the recovery of the fluorescence signal (emission peak at 615 nm) with the detection limit of 0.42 μM. Probe T1 displays low cytotoxicity and excellent ability to recognize exogenous and endogenous H2S in living cells. It could recognize H2S produced by LPS induced cell inflammation, monitor the release of H2S by the H2S prodrug ADT-OH in cells, and serve as an anti-counterfeiting dye for printing technology, confirming the reliability of the probe. Therefore, probe T1 can be used as a fast and effective tool for detecting H2S in vitro and in vivo.