Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 30, 2026
Cytotoxic Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy in Osteosarcoma Cells In Vitro
Published on: March 18, 2014
Effects of PDT with 5-aminolevulinic acid and chitosan on Walker carcinosarcoma
A Filip1, S Clichici, A Muresan
1Department of Physiology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. adrianafilip33@yahoo.com
Unlabelled:
Porphyrins and new chitosan hydrogels based composites with porphyrins are used as active cytotoxic antitumor agents in photodynamic therapy (PDT).
Aim:
The present study evaluates the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and 5-ALA associated with chitosan (CS) using Walker carcinosarcoma in rats as experimental model.
Methods:
The animals were irradiated with red light ( lambda = 685 nm, D = 50 J/cm(2), 15 min) 3 h after i.p. administration of 5-ALA (250 mg/kg b.w.) or a mixture of 5-ALA (250 mg/kg b.w.) and CS (1.5 mg/kg b.w.). The animals were sacrificed at 1, 3, 6, 24 h and 14 days after the treatment. The effects of PDT were investigated by morphological studies, monitoring the 5-ALA induced protoporphyrin IX (Pp IX) level in tumor tissue and serum, MMP 2 and 9 (gelatinases) activity in tumor and malondialdehyde level (MDA), marker of the lipoperoxidation process, in tumor and serum.
Results:
Zymography revealed an increased activity of MMP 2 in tumors from animals treated with 5-ALA PDT. PDT with 5-ALA induced a higher lipid peroxidation in tumor tissue compared with 5-ALA-CS. CS associated to 5 ALA PDT enhanced the accumulation of PS in tumors inducing earlier necrotic changes. In the same time CS reduced MMP 2 activity.
Conclusion:
Our results suggest that MMPs activation and oxygen reactive species are involved in PDT effects.
