SYNTHESIS OF DIAZOLUMINOMELANIN (DALM) IN HL-60 CELLS FOR POSSIBLE USE AS A CELLULAR-LEVEL MICROWAVE DOSIMETER

Chemical and bacterial synthesis of a thermochemiluminescent polymer k nown as diazoluminomelanin (DALM) has been previously reported. This p aper focuses on the intracellular synthesis of aminomelanin (AM) in ma mmalian cell lines and subsequent DALM synthesis from this core molecu le. B16 melanoma cells, HL-60 myeloid leukemia cells, and RAW 264.7 ma crophages show AM and DALM production. Macroscopic image analysis of H L-60 cell lysates containing DALM using the Quantitative Luminescence Imaging System (QLIS) showed increased chemiluminescence (CL) with inc reased microwave power input and increased temperature. This work repr esents a first step toward the goal of microscopic radiofrequency dosi metry of individual DALM-loaded cells using image analysis. (C) 1994 W iley-Liss, Inc.