Novel TICT-characterized fluorescent probes for efficient imaging of lipid droplets in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

Dysfunction of lipid droplets (LDs) is closely associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Although fluorescence imaging has the advantages of noninvasiveness and high spatiotemporal resolution in the detection of LDs, the imaging performance of existing commercial fluorescent probes is still unsatisfactory. In this study, we developed two novel fluorescent probes, DAB-LD and DAI-LD, featuring twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) properties for efficient LD-specific imaging. These probes exhibit minimal fluorescence in aqueous solutions but significantly enhanced emission in lipid environments, indicating good photophysical properties and biocompatibility. Moreover, both of these probes specifically target intracellular LDs and exhibit excellent imaging performance. Importantly, DAI-LD has shown effective imaging capabilities in a mouse model of NAFLD. This study not only provides a robust tool for NAFLD research but also introduces a new strategy for designing LDs-specific fluorescent probes.