Near-Infrared Dual-Emission Ratiometric Fluorescence Imaging Nanoprobe for Real-Time Tracing the Generation of Endogenous Peroxynitrite in Single Living Cells and In Vivo

Peroxynitrite (ONOO-) is a highly reactive nitrogen species with potent oxidant and nitrating properties. Its excessive generation can cause DNA and protein damage, thereby contributing to cell injury, and it is closely related to the development of many diseases. Thus, there is an urgent need for a reliable method to determine changes in the steady-state levels of ONOO- in vivo. Ratiometric imaging, due to its built-in self-calibration system, can reduce artifacts and enable reliable in vivo imaging. In this study, we designed and prepared near-infrared (NIR) biomass quantum dots (NI-BQDs) and covalently coupled them with the NIR dye Cyanine7 (Cy7) to construct an NIR dual-emission nanoprobe (NI-BQD-Cy7) for real-time tracing the generation of endogenous ONOO- in single living cells and in vivo by ratiometric fluorescence imaging. NI-BQD-Cy7 exhibited high detection sensitivity and selectivity for ONOO- in the mitochondria. Additionally, it can produce dual NIR fluorescence emission, thus allowing in situ ratiometric fluorescence imaging to real-time trace the generation and concentration changes of ONOO- in vivo. The application of the proposed NIR dual-emission nanoprobe can provide accurate information for the study of the biological function of ONOO- in single living cells and in vivo, and it is very useful to explain the mechanism of cell damage caused by ONOO-.