S-Doped carbonized polymer dots inhibit early myocardial fibrosis by regulating mitochondrial function

Myocardial fibrosis (MF) is a critical pathological lesion in the progression of various acute and chronic cardiovascular diseases. However, there is still a lack of clinically effective drugs and treatments for MF therapies. Herein, for the first time, we developed fluorescent sulfur-doped carbonized polymer dots (S-CPDs) as new nano-antioxidants to reduce the cardiomyocyte damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the early stage of fibrotic lesions. In vitro results suggested that the pre-protection of S-CPDs significantly increased the survival rate of H9c2 cells under severe oxidative stress, inhibited the isoproterenol (ISO)-induced hypertrophy of myocardial cells through improving the content of mitochondria related proteins and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in cells. Moreover, S-CPD administration could effectively decrease cardiac hypertrophy and promote heart function in MF rat models. The rapid internalization, high biocompatibility and fluorescence imaging potential of S-CPDs revealed their promising application prospects in the diagnoses and treatments of cardiovascular diseases.