Discrete imaging of hepatic oxidative and nitrosative stress with two-channel nanoparticles for in vivo drug safety screening

Abstract

Encompassed are embodiments of activatable nanoprobes useful for in vivo longitudinal imaging of drug hepatotoxicity with oxidative and nitrosative stress as the safety biomarkers. Both H2O2 and ONOO− are important mediators of radical stress. Two channels of optical detection, intrinsically free from cross-talk, were engineered into superconducting polymer nanoparticles to generate chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer between the conjugated polymer matrix of the nanoparticle and an incorporated chemiluminescent substrate allowing for the luminescent detection of H2O2 and fluorescence resonance energy transfer between the polymer matrix and an oxidation-degradable fluorophore for ratiometric detection of ONOO These nanoprobes have been applied for real-time in vivo monitoring of hepatotoxicity resulting from challenges from drugs. In addition to the ability of imaging the dose-dependence of oxidative and nitrosative stress, the positive detection of radical stress that precedes histological changes allow the early and longitudinal detection of drug-induced hepatotoxicity in vivo.

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