Measuring the distribution and concentration of cysteine by fluorescent sensor for the visual study of paracetamol-induced pro-sarcopenic effect

Abstract Paracetamol (APAP), an antipyretic and analgesic drug commonly used in the elderly, its metabolism in the liver leads to the irreversible loss of Cys, affects the availability of Cys in peripheral tissue, thereby worsening sarcopenia in the elderly. In this work, we provided a strategy to improve the selectivity of probes for Cys by embedding heteroatom in aromatic rings to the recognition moiety under the guidance of theoretical simulation. We have successfully developed two new congeneric fluorescent probes that could be employed to mapping Cys in the living system with good color rendering, low detection limit, favorable cell compatibility, and low cytotoxicity. Most important, it is the first time to intuitively and visually study the mechanism APAP-induced pro-sarcopenic effect by fluorescent sensors in old rats. This work provides effective tools and methods for further exploring the metabolic mechanism and physiological function of endogenous Cys in animal models and has important application value in life science research.