A novel fluorescent probe for imaging endogenous hydrogen sulfide in living cells and mice models of acute liver injury

Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) performs essential functions in several physiological and pathological procedures, such as liver cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. To optimize the H 2 S detection in practical applications, herein, a new probe YG-H 2 S for the fluorescent imaging of H 2 S was developed. Compared with the current H 2 S probes, the main advantages of YG-H 2 S were a wide pH range (5.0–9.0), a relatively fast response (within 10 min), and high selectivity from the competitive species (including biological mercaptan). Owing to the low cytotoxicity of YG-H 2 S , it was good for the biological depth imaging in biological events. YG-H 2 S could detect endogenous H 2 S in HeLa cells. In addition, YG-H 2 S could monitor the level of H 2 S in 4 T1-xenograft and acute liver injury model mice as well as in separate tissues. Consequently, YG-H 2 S might be a potential method for detecting H 2 S in preliminary diagnosis.