BODIPY-based near-infrared fluorescent probe for diagnosis drug-induced liver injury via imaging of HClO in cells and in vivo

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) as an acute liver disease has caused serious concern in public health problems. As a kind of reactive oxygen species, HClO has come into scientists’ vision as a marker of DILI. Herein, we construct a BODIPY-based near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe (BDP-R-ClO) for the selective and sensitive response of hypochlorous acid. The probe could realize the rapid detection of HClO, with a 20-fold fluorescence enhancement at 661 nm and the detection value of which was only 1.8 nM. Moreover, BDP-R-ClO could diagnose and visualize DILI by monitoring the fluctuation of HClO concentration in vitro and in vivo, and evaluate the detoxification of hepatoprotective drugs. Through the visualization of HClO in the mice liver injury models, BDP-R-ClO not only proved its applicability but also indicated that it had great potential in the diagnosis and monitoring of HClO-related diseases.