Dual-channel fluorescent probe for monitoring the dynamic changes of hypochlorite ion and ATP in drug-induced liver injury

Hypochlorite ion (ClO − ) plays a significant role in physiological processes, while adenosine-5’-triphosphate (ATP) is often referred to as the ‘molecular currency’ for cellular energy. Changes in intracellular ClO − and ATP concentrations can be induced by inhibitors, stimulators, and acetaminophen (APAP) which is associated with drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Therefore, the accurate monitoring of intracellular ClO − and ATP levels is essential for revealing the pathological mechanism of DILI, which has not been fully evaluated to date. With this research, we developed a bi-functional probe ( 1 ) with aminoethyl piperazine bridged Rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) moieties to detect ClO − and ATP simultaneously. On interaction with ATP and ClO − , probe 1 , which was initially non-emissive, exhibited the characteristic fluorescence emission signals of RhB (λ ex = 460 nm, λ em = 590 nm) and MB (λ ex = 630 nm, λ em = 685 nm), respectively, through opening of the RhB spirolactam ring and release of MB. Significantly, probe 1 could be used to visually monitor changes in cellular ClO − and ATP levels in the presence of various inhibitors, stimulators, and acetaminophen (APAP) associated with DILI. • Probe 1 exhibits excellent dual response to ClO − and ATP. • Probe 1 enables the imaging of ClO − and ATP concentration changes in live cells. • Probe 1 was used to monitor APAP-related drug-induced liver injury (DILI).