In consideration of deep tissue imaging and signal fidelity, fluorescent-photoacoustic (PA) dual-modal probes are much more desirable. However, dual-modal imaging of gastritis using molecular probes remains a challenge due to the harsh gastric acid environment in the stomach. Based on the positive correlation between gastritis and cell viscosity, stomach acid-stable and viscosity-activated probes could potentially diagnose gastritis. As a proof of concept, herein, a fluorescent and photoacoustic dual-modal probe (named WSP-1) is revealed for the imaging of drug-induced acute gastritis in vivo. WSP-1 exhibits viscosity-dependent fluorescence emission and photoacoustic signals. A rotatable C-C single bond is incorporated into the D-π-A structure of WSP-1, which could facilitate the formation of the twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state in a low-viscosity environment (weak fluorescence/PA signal) and the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state in a high-viscosity environment (strong fluorescence/PA signal). WSP-1 has demonstrated the capability to target mitochondria and can be utilized to monitor the viscosity enhancement of cells during inflammation. Most importantly, WSP-1 exhibits good optical and structural stability in gastric acid. By leveraging these desirable features of WSP-1, we have achieved fluorescent and 3D photoacoustic in situ imaging of drug-induced acute gastritis following oral administration of WSP-1.
Keyphrases
- living cells
- fluorescence imaging
- helicobacter pylori
- high resolution
- helicobacter pylori infection
- drug induced
- single molecule
- quantum dots
- liver injury
- fluorescent probe
- photodynamic therapy
- small molecule
- cell death
- stem cells
- induced apoptosis
- mesenchymal stem cells
- liver failure
- emergency department
- hepatitis b virus
- single cell
- cell proliferation
- mass spectrometry
- adverse drug
- respiratory failure
- high speed
- nucleic acid
- endoplasmic reticulum
- endoscopic submucosal dissection