Evaluation of Nitric Oxide Fluctuation Via a Fast, Responsive Fluorescent Probe in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Cells and Mice Models

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, and fatal interstitial pneumonia with unknown pathogenesis. Early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention are essential for improving the prognosis of patients with IPF. The level of nitric oxide upregulates in the alveoli of IPF patients, which is correlated with the severity of the disease. Herein, we report a fluorescent probe DCM–nitric oxide (NO) to detect IPF by monitoring the concentration changes of NO. This probe displays a fast response time and a good linear response to NO in vitro. Fluorescence imaging experiments with probe DCM–NO revealed that the level of intracellular NO increases in the pulmonary fibrosis cells and IPF mice models. Probe DCM–NO displayed a strong red fluorescence in IPF mice models. However, a declining fluorescence was evidenced in the OFEV-treated IPF mice, implying that DCM–NO is capable of evaluating the therapeutic effects on IPF. Thus, probe DCM–NO can quickly predict the progression of pulmonary fibrosis at an early stage and thus help improve the effective treatment.