A far-red fluorescent probe for flow cytometry and image-based functional studies of xenobiotic sequestering macrophages.

ABSTRACT: Clofazimine (CFZ) is an optically active, red-colored chemotherapeutic agent that is FDA approved for the treatment of leprosy and is on the World Health Organization's list of essential medications. Interestingly, CFZ massively accumulates in macrophages where it forms crystal-like drug inclusions (CLDIs) after oral administration of the drug in animals and humans. The analysis of the fluorescence spectra of CLDIs formed by resident tissue macrophages revealed that CFZ, when accumulated as CLDIs, undergoes a red shift in fluorescence excitation (from Ex: 540-570 to 560-600 nm) and emission (Em: 560-580 to 640-700 nm) signal relative to the soluble and free-base crystal forms of CFZ. Using epifluorescence microscopy, CLDI(+) cells could be identified, relative to CLDI(-) cells, based on a

SUBMITTER: Keswani RK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4553085 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature