Ultrafast Detection of Peroxynitrite in Parkinson’s Disease Models Using a Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that devastatingly affects people's lives. Numerous research studies have shown that peroxynitrite (ONOO^-) plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of PD. However, a suitable tool that could quickly and sensitively detect ONOO^- in various PD models is still lacking. To this end, we designed and synthesized a series of near-infrared probes that could detect ONOO^- within seconds by near-infrared fluorescent imaging in an ultrafast and highly selective manner. It is noteworthy that one of those developed probes, <b>NIR-PN1</b>, showed excellent sensing performance and blood-brain barrier penetrating ability. <b>NIR-PN1</b> was successfully applied for imaging of ONOO^- fluxes in multiple PD models including PC12 cell, Drosophila, <i>C. elegans</i>, and mouse brain, indicating its great potential application not only for understanding the biological roles that ONOO^- played in PD but also for early PD diagnosis and treatment.