S. Gronlundpakkanen et al., THE IMPORTANCE OF FLUORESCENCE DISTRIBUTION AND KINETICS OF ALA-INDUCED PPIX IN THE BLADDER IN PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY, Journal of photochemistry and photobiology.B, Biology, 38(2-3), 1997, pp. 269-273
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new anticancer technique directed at t
he selective destruction of neoplastic tissue. Aminolevulinic acid (AL
A), a precursor in the biosynthesis of heme, induces the production of
the endogenous photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). In this stud
y the fluorescence distribution of ALA-induced PpIX was investigated i
n the rat bladder wall by fluorescence microscopy. The fluorescence st
udies showed that PpIX concentrates in bladder mucosa and that the hig
hest fluorescence levels are achieved after four hours of 300 mg/kg AL
A administration. A clear trend in difference between mucosa and muscu
laris layers was found in all samples taken after 1, 2, 4 and 6 hours
of ALA administration. Our results suggest that to get the highest PpI
X fluorescence intensity in bladder mucosa it is best to use 300 mg/kg
ALA administration. Four hours is the time point when the highest dif
ference in fluorescence between mucosa and muscularis is reached.