Development of a Selective Fluorescent Probe for Hypochlorous Acid Detection and Imaging

摘要： The reactive oxygen species (ROS), hypochlorous acid (HOCl), participates in many important biological events. For example, this ROS is the main active agent to kill invading microbes by immune system. HOCl is produced by H2O2 and Cl? in a myeloperoxidase (MPO) catalyzed process that occurs in response to inflammatory stimuli. Because HOCl reacts with important biological molecules and it causes cell damage, its uncontrolled production is involved in some human maladies such as arthritis. Detection and imaging HOCl in vivo are critical components of studies aimed at elucidating the biological functions of this ROS. Owing to several advantageous features including high selectivities and sensitivities, short response times and simple preparation methods, molecular fluorescent probes have become powerful tools for detecting biologically important substances and bio-imaging. It is essential to develop highly selective and sensitive fluorescent probes for HOCl for bio-applications. In the study described below, we demonstrated that spiro[isobenzofuran-30,60-dihydroxy-1(3H),90-[9H]thioxanthen]-3-one (TF) is an ideal fluorescent probe for HOCl because it undergoes a fluorescence enhancement upon being selectively chlorinated by this ROS.