Two-Photon Probes for pH: Detection of Human Colon Cancer using Two-Photon Microscopy

Anal Chem. 2017 Sep 19;89(18):9830-9835. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b01804. Epub 2017 Aug 29.

Abstract

We have developed two-photon (TP) pH-sensitive probes (BH-2 and BHEt-1) that exhibit absorption and emission maxima at 370 and 466 nm, and TP absorption cross-section values of 51 and 61 GM (1 GM = 10-50cm4s/photon), respectively, at 750 nm and pH 3.0 in a universal buffer (0.1 M citric acid, 0.1 M KH2PO4, 0.1 M Na2B4O7, 0.1 M Tris, 0.1 M KCl)/1,4-dioxane (7/3) solution. The TPM images of CCD-18co (a normal colon cell line) and HCT116 cells (a colon cancer cell line) labeled with BH-2 were too dim to be distinguished. When the same cells were labeled with BHEt-1, however, the TPM image of the HCT116 cells was much brighter than that of CCD-18co cells, and the relative proportion of the acidic vesicles (Pacid) of the former was 5-fold larger than that of latter. BHEt-1 could also differentiate HepG2 cells (a human liver cancer cell line) from LX-2 cells (a human hepatic stellate cell line) with a 6-fold larger Pacid value. Human colon cancer tissues labeled with BHEt-1 showed similar results, demonstrating much brighter TPM images and 6-fold larger Pacid values compared to normal tissue. These results suggest the potential utility of BHEt-1 for detecting colon cancer in human tissues using TPM.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line
  • Colonic Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemical synthesis
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry*
  • HCT116 Cells
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton
  • Molecular Structure
  • Photons*

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes