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. 1999 Jul;80(10):1525–1532. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6690556

Comparative effect of ALA derivatives on protoporphyrin IX production in human and rat skin organ cultures

A Casas 1, A M del C Batlle 1, A R Butler 2, D Robertson 2, E H Brown 2, A MacRobert 3, P A Riley 4
PMCID: PMC2363110  PMID: 10408393

Abstract

Samples of human and rat skin in short-term organ culture exposed to ALA or a range of hydrophobic derivatives were examined for their effect on the accumulation of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) measured using fluorescence spectroscopy. With the exception of carbobenzoyloxy-D-phenylalanyl-5-ALA-ethyl ester the data presented indicate that, in normal tissues, ALA derivatives generate protoporphyrin IX more slowly than ALA, suggesting that they are less rapidly taken up and/or converted to free ALA. However, the resultant depot effect may lead to the enhanced accumulation of porphyrin over long exposure periods, particularly in the case of ALA-methyl ester or ALA-hexyl ester, depending on the applied concentration and the exposed tissue. Addition of the iron chelator, CP94, greatly increased PpIX accumulation in human skin exposed to ALA, ALA-methyl ester and ALA-hexyl ester. The effect in rat skin was less marked. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaign

Keywords: ALA, PDT, ALA derivatives, ALA esters, iron chelators, CP94

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Selected References

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