A Near‐Infrared Fluorescence Hypochlorite Probe for Imaging Atherosclerosis without Interference from Serum Protein and Microenvironment Factors

Comprehensive Summary Atherosclerosis (AS), a chronic vascular lesion, constitutes the primary pathological basis for a variety of cardiovascular diseases that account for 85% of total cardiovascular mortality. The accurate identification of AS is of critical significance for early clinical diagnosis and therapeutic interventions for associated diseases. Herein, we report a changeable π‐conjugated probe (ASOCl‐1) capable of specific AS imaging with resistance to serum protein interference and microenvironmental perturbations. ASOCl‐1 itself was non‐conjugated and non‐fluorescent. Upon the activation by inflammatory biomarker hypochlorite (OCl − ), the probe underwent a molecular rearrangement to generate a near‐infrared fluorophore oxazine, with environmental‐insusceptible response and anti‐interference from serum protein. ASOCl‐1 has been used to image OCl − inside foam cells, a type of cell derived from macrophages at the AS sites. Most importantly, ASOCl‐1 could achieve in vivo , ex vivo and slice imaging of AS mice. The satisfactory imaging performance and anti‐interference capability of ASOCl‐1 make it a potential tool for AS imaging diagnosis and disease progression monitoring.