Article

Laser photosensitization of cells by hypericin.

Centro di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale-C.N.R., Napoli, Italy.
Photochemistry and Photobiology (impact factor: 2.41). 06/1994; 59(5):529-33. pp.529-33
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Administering a light dose of 90 J/cm2 at 599 nm during incubation with hypericin to a highly differentiated normal epithelial cell line (FRTL-5), derived from Fisher rat thyroid, and to a neoplastic cell line (MPTK-6), derived from the lung metastases of a thyroid carcinoma induced in Fisher rats, produces cell kill at drug doses 1000 times lower than those necessary to cause the same mortality in the dark. The photocytocidal activity of this polycyclic quinone drug on neoplastic cells is superior to that of antitumor anthraquinone drugs, such as daunomycin and mitoxanthrone, and to the photosensitized antiviral activity previously reported for hypericin.

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Keywords

antitumor anthraquinone drugs
 
differentiated normal epithelial cell line
 
drug doses 1000 times lower
 
Fisher rat thyroid
 
hypericin
 
lung metastases
 
photosensitized antiviral activity
 
polycyclic quinone drug
 
thyroid carcinoma induced