A colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe for the imaging of endogenous hydrogen sulphide in living cells and sulphide determination in mouse hippocampus

Abstract

A naphthalimide-azide based colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe, NAP-1, has been developed for the selective and sensitive detection of hydrogen sulphide. Advantages of the probe NAP-1 include a low detection limit (110 nM), good selectivity, high sensitivity and excellent photostability. A linear relationship between the emission intensity ratios and sulphide concentrations was observed in PBS buffer and bovine serum, respectively. Our probe facilitates ratiometric determination and imaging of endogenous H₂S in living cells. Furthermore, this probe was successfully applied to the measurement of endogenous sulphide in human plasma and mouse hippocampus. A significant reduction in sulphide levels and CBS mRNA expression was observed in the hippocampus of mouse models of lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation-related diseases, suggesting that decreased levels of endogenous H₂S might be involved in the pathogenesis of neuroinflammation-related neurodegenerative diseases.