Using Glow Stick Chemistry for Biological Imaging

• Published in: Molecular imaging and biology Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 478 - 487
• Main Authors: Tseng, Jen-Chieh, Bailey, Dyane, Tupper, Tanya, Kung, Andrew L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.08.2014; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Cell Line, Tumor; Diagnostic Imaging - methods; Energy Transfer; Humans; Imaging; Intestinal Mucosa - metabolism; Intestines - pathology; Luminescence; Lung - metabolism; Lung - pathology; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Nude; Mitochondria; Phagocytosis; Phagosomes - metabolism; Radiology; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Research Article; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; Chemiluminescence; Energy transfer; Photoluminescence; ROS
• ISSN: 1536-1632; 1860-2002
• DOI: 10.1007/s11307-014-0721-8

Purpose This study describes an imaging strategy based on glow stick chemistry to non-invasively image oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in living animals. Procedures Upon stimulation, phagocytes produce toxic levels of ROS to kill engulfed microorganisms. The mitochondrial respiratory chain continually generates low levels of superoxide (O 2 · − ) that serve as a source for generation of downstream ROS, which function as regulatory signaling intermediaries. A ROS-reacting substrate, 2-methyl-6-[4-methoxyphenyl]-3,7-dihydroimidazo[1,2- a ]pyrazin-3-one hydrochloride, was used as the chemical energy donor for generating energy transfer luminescence in phagosomes and mitochondria. Results Using targeted photoluminescent dyes with specific subcellular localization that serve as chemical energy recipients, our imaging data demonstrate proof-of-concept for using glow stick chemistry to visualize ROS production associated with phagocytosis and mitochondrial respiration in living mice. Conclusions Glow stick imaging is a complementary hybrid of chemiluminescence and photoluminescence imaging, capable of generating red or far-red emission for deep tissue imaging.