Simultaneous Sensing of H2S and ATP with a Two-Photon Fluorescent Probe in Alzheimer’s Disease: toward Understanding Why H2S Regulates Glutamate-Induced ATP Dysregulation

Energy deprivation and reduced levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the brain is closely associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, there is currently no fluorescent probe for precise exploration of both H2S and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to directly demonstrate their relationship and their dynamic pattern changes. Herein, we developed a two-photon fluorescent probe, named AD-3, to simultaneously image endogenous H2S and ATP from two emission channels of fluorescent signals in live rat brains with AD. The probe achieved excellent selectivity and good detection linearity for H2S in the 0–100 μM concentration range and ATP in the 2–5 mM concentration range, respectively, with a detection limit of 0.19 μM for H2S and 0.01 mM for ATP. Fluorescence imaging in live cells reveals that such probe could successfully apply for simultaneous imaging and accurate quantification of H2S and ATP in neuronal cells. Further using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blots, we confirmed that H2S regulates ATP synthesis by acting on cytochrome C, cytochrome oxidase subunit 3 of complex IV, and protein 6 of complex I in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Subsequently, we constructed a high-throughput screening platform based on AD-3 probe to rapidly screen the potential anti-AD drugs to control glutamate-stimulated oxidative stress associated with abnormal H2S and ATP levels. Significantly, AD-3 probe was found capable of imaging of H2S and ATP in APP/PS1 mice, and the concentration of H2S and ATP in the AD mouse brain was found to be lower than that in wild-type mice.