Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe for Imaging and Evaluating the Role of Vanin-1 in Chemotherapy

Anal Chem. 2021 Jul 27;93(29):10378-10387. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02386. Epub 2021 Jul 18.

Abstract

Pantetheinase (also known as Vanin-1) is highly expressed in the liver, kidneys, and intestine and is closely associated with a number of diseases. Vanin-1 can hydrolyze pantetheine to pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) and cysteamine and participate in the synthesis of glutathione (GSH). GSH is highly expressed in tumor cells and plays a major role in the resistance of tumor cells to cisplatin. Therefore, we urgently need a method to monitor the activity level of Vanin-1 in tumor cells and tissues and elucidate the relationship between the role of Vanin-1 in GSH synthesis and tumor resistance. Herein, we report a Cy-Pa fluorescent probe for imaging Vanin-1 in cells and in vivo that can qualitatively and quantitatively detect the fluctuation of Vanin-1 concentrations in HepG2 and HepG2/DDP cells or tumor tissues of tumor-bearing mice. This probe shows excellent potential in in situ real-time monitoring of endogenous Vanin-1. Moreover, we proved that Vanin-1 can inhibit GSH synthesis using the probe. When the Vanin-1 inhibitor RR6 was used in combination with cisplatin, HepG2 and HepG2/DDP cells showed increased resistance to cisplatin, while the therapeutic efficiency of cisplatin was reduced in HepG2 and HepG2/DDP xenografts. In this study, Vanin-1 was shown to play an important role in the treatment of cancer, and the study of Vanin-1 may provide an idea for the treatment of cancer in the future.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amidohydrolases
  • Animals
  • Cysteamine*
  • Fluorescent Dyes*
  • GPI-Linked Proteins
  • Glutathione
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Pantetheine
  • Pantothenic Acid

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • GPI-Linked Proteins
  • Pantothenic Acid
  • Pantetheine
  • Cysteamine
  • Amidohydrolases
  • pantetheinase
  • Glutathione