PHOTOPHYSICAL ALTERATIONS OF ERYTHROCYTE-MEMBRANE BY 4,5',8-TRIMETHYLPSORALEN - MEMBRANE RESPONSE TOWARDS PSORALEN PHOTOTHERAPY

Despite the wide and versatile use of psoralen phototherapy in various . dermal diseases including psoriasis and leukoderma, the proposed mec hanism of action of psoralen is disputed. This study launches an origi nal documentation of free-radical resulting in erythrocyte membrane da mage studied by spin-labeling using the probes malnet and 5 doxyl stea rate as protein and lipid domains, respectively. Both Type I and Type II photodynamics appear plausible and the therapeutic aspects of this innovation are being verified. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.