Illumination of Hydroxyl Radical in Kidney Injury and High‐Throughput Screening of Natural Protectants Using a Fluorescent/Photoacoustic Probe

Abstract

The hydroxyl radical (•OH) is shown to play a crucial role in the occurrence and progression of acute kidney injury (AKI). Therefore, the development of a robust •OH probe holds great promise for the early diagnosis of AKI, high‐throughput screening (HTS) of natural protectants, and elucidating the molecular mechanism of intervention in AKI. Herein, the design and synthesis of an activatable fluorescent/photoacoustic (PA) probe (CDIA) for sensitive and selective imaging of •OH in AKI is reported. CDIA has near‐infrared fluorescence/PA channels and fast activation kinetics, enabling the detection of the onset of •OH in an AKI model. The positive detection time of 12 h using this probe is superior to the 48‐hour detection time for typical clinical assays, such as blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine detection. Furthermore, a method is established using CDIA for HTS of natural •OH inhibitors from herbal medicines. Puerarin is screened out by activating the Sirt1/Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway to protect renal cells in AKI. Overall, this work provides a versatile and dual‐mode tool for illuminating the •OH‐related pathological process in AKI and screening additional compounds to prevent and treat AKI.

Recent Progress in Molecular Probes for Imaging of Acute Kidney Injury

“…Therefore, the team proposed that the duplex imaging probe CDIA would be a viable choice for identifying clinical AKI and other ROS-related illnesses in patients, thereby shedding light on the ROS-related pathological process and enhancing the diagnostic efficacy overall. 80 Zhang et al investigated the primary redox pair involved in AKI and developed a customized PA imaging probe (AB-DiOH) with high specificity and sensitivity to ClO − /GSH (Figure 9A). Utilizing noninvasive PA imaging, this probe allowed for real-time monitoring of AKI with a higher detection sensitivity than a blood test.…”

“…Moreover, the group activated the Sirt1/Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway to screen out puerarin and protect renal cells in AKI (Figure G-K). Therefore, the team proposed that the duplex imaging probe CDIA would be a viable choice for identifying clinical AKI and other ROS-related illnesses in patients, thereby shedding light on the ROS-related pathological process and enhancing the diagnostic efficacy overall …”

“…(F) HTS of natural products for AKI using CDIA@LMWC NP in living HK-2 cells. Levels were examined by Western blot analysis in HK-2 cells: (G) Sirt1, (H) Nrf2, (I) Keap1, (J) DJ-1, and (K) HO –1 . Copyright 2023 John Wiley and Sons.…”

Cell Membrane Camouflaged Biomimetic Nanocomplex Based on Black Phosphorus Nanosheets to Modulate T Cells for Melanoma Immunotherapy

“…Considering the invasiveness and sensitivity of the disease, traditional methods like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy in melanoma treatment show restricted therapeutic effectiveness . With the rapid development of nanomaterials, nanomedicine can play important roles in diagnosis, biological imaging, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and phototherapy, which also benefit many patients.…”

Fluorinated 1,7-DO2A-Based Iron(II) Complexes as Sensitive 19F MRI Molecular Probes for Visualizing Renal Dysfunction in Living Mice

“…8−10 In such a circumstance, direct and quick means for the evaluation of renal function, such as imaging methods, are being actively pursued to better study the causes of various kidney diseases and develop more effective treatment strategies. 11−14 Nowadays, many efforts have been dedicated to the development of different methods, for real-time visualization of different renal diseases, 15 including fluorescence imaging, 16−19 chemiluminescence imaging, 20 and photoacoustic imaging, 21 and enhanced 1 H MRI with Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs). 22 However, most of these methods have their own shortcomings, such as the shallow penetration of fluorescence imaging and the low resolution of sonography.…”