Activatable Fluorescent Nanoprobe for Simultaneous Detection of β-Galactosidase and Peroxynitrite to Predict Early Atherosclerotic Plaques

The vicious cycle of oxidative stress and cellular senescence is closely associated with the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Targeting the vicious cycle of “oxidative stress-cell senescence” as a combined biological target for atherosclerosis and developing dual-functional probes holds significant importance for the early monitoring and risk assessment of this disease. Therefore, fluorescent nanoprobe GL-1-NPs, capable of simultaneously imaging the aging markers β-galactosidase (β-gal) and peroxynitrite (ONOO–) were synthesized via nanoprecipitation. GL-1-NPs serve as a live-cell imaging tool that enables effective monitoring of changes in β-gal activity and ONOO– levels during the formation process of foam cells. Notably, in the aortas of ApoE–/– mice fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks, traditional methods such as Oil Red O staining and immunofluorescence revealed no plaque formation or upregulation of the associated proteins CD36 and CD68. Whereas, GL-1-NPs successfully detected enhanced fluorescence signals in the β-gal and ONOO– channels, highlighting their potential for achieving early warning of atherosclerosis.