1. Confocal microscopic oxygen imaging of xenograft tumors using Ir(III) complexes as in vivo intravascular and intracellular probes.
- Author
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Yoshihara, Toshitada, Tamura, Takuto, Shiozaki, Shuichi, Chou, Li-Chieh, Kakuchi, Ryohei, and Rokudai, Susumu
- Subjects
CANCER cell proliferation ,POLYETHYLENE glycol ,INTRAVENOUS therapy ,PARTIAL pressure ,FLUORESCENT probes - Abstract
Hypoxia is an important feature of the tumor microenvironment (TME) of most solid tumors, and it is closely linked to cancer cell proliferation, therapy resistance, and the tumor immune response. Herein, we describe a method for hypoxia-induced heterogeneous oxygen distribution in xenograft tumors based on phosphorescence imaging microscopy (PLIM) using intravascular and intracellular oxygen probes. We synthesized Ir(III) complexes with polyethylene glycol (PEG) units of different molecular weights into the ligand as intravascular oxygen probes, BTP-PEGm (m = 2000, 5000, 10000, 20000). BTP-PEGm showed red emission with relatively high emission quantum yield and high oxygen sensitivity in saline. Cellular and in vivo experiments using these complexes revealed that BTP-PEG10000 was the most suitable probe in terms of blood retention and ease of intravenous administration in mice. PLIM measurements of xenograft tumors in mice treated with BTP-PEG10000 allowed simultaneous imaging of the tumor microvasculature and quantification of oxygen partial pressures. From lifetime images using the red-emitting intracellular oxygen probe BTPDM1 and the green-emitting intravascular fluorescent probe FITC-dextran, we demonstrated hypoxic heterogeneity in the TME with a sparse vascular network and showed that the oxygen levels of tumor cells gradually decreased with vascular distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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