Visualization of Mitochondrial Viscosity in Inflammation, Fatty Liver, and Cancer Living Mice by a Robust Fluorescent Probe

Abstract

Elucidating the internal relationship between diseases and mitochondrial viscosity remains a great challenge due to the lack of the studies on multidisease living animals. So far, demonstrating abnormal mitochondria viscosity in the fatty liver and tumor living mice has not been achieved. To address this critical challenge, the powerful two-photon and mitochondria-targeted fluorescence probe CBI-V was designed herein for viscosity detection with deep red emission. Utilizing the new probe CBI-V, the mitochondrial viscosity alteration in living systems caused by monensin or nystatin has been monitored sensitively and selectively in real time. Moreover, the probe is capable of imaging mitochondrial viscosity in the inflammatory models at the cell, zebrafish, and mice level. Importantly, the visualization of mitochondrial viscosity has been achieved in both fatty liver and tumor living mice for the first time. This work not only advances the study of the relationship between disease and mitochondrial viscosity but also opens up an efficient way for diagnosing mitochondrial viscosity related diseases.

Small Molecular Fluorescent Probes for Imaging of Viscosity in Living Biosystems

“…Further fluorescence imaging and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) utilizing probe 3 illustrated that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treated cells possessed clearly enhanced viscosity in mitochondria. Probe 4 , as a hybrid of carbazole and indole salt moiety, was employed to visualize mitochondrial viscosity in inflamed tissue, fatty liver, as well as cancer tissue [31] . The imaging results demonstrated that all these pathosises were accompanying by an increase of viscosity.…”

Nutrition, Bioenergetics, and Metabolic Syndrome

“…In addition, the reduction of the omega-6/omega-3 balance and the omega-3 incorporation into mitochondrial membranes increase its viscosity. This situation improves mitochondrial function and avoids cell dysfunction and cell death [ 137 ]. However, the disbalanced omega-3/omega-6 ratio in detriment of omega-6 may also lead to adverse consequences, since excessive omega-3 PUFAs may eventually trigger pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory environments [ 138 ].…”

A Mitochondria‐Specific Orange/Near‐Infrared‐Emissive Fluorescent Probe for Dual‐Imaging of Viscosity and H2O2 in Inflammation and Tumor Models

“…Having verified the ability of TTPB to separately image mitochondrial viscosity and H 2 O 2 in two different channels, we then evaluate its capability of simultaneously tracking mitochondrial viscosity and H 2 O 2 in an inflammation model induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which has been verified to trigger cells to produce inflammation. [ 33‐34 ]…”