Mechanism of cell damage by ultrasound in combination with hematoporphyrin

The mechanism of cell damage by ultrasound in combination with hematoporphyrin was studied. Mouse sarcoma 180 cell suspensions were exposed to ultrasound for up to 60 s in the presence and absence of hematoporphyrin, with and without active oxygen scavengers. The cell damage enhancement by hematoporphyrin was suppressed by adding histidine but not by mannitol. The enhancement was doubled in rate by substitution of deuterium oxide medium for normal water. Sonoluminescence was produced in a saline solution under similar acoustic conditions and observed to have spectral components that can excite hematoporphyrin molecules. These results suggest that cell damage enhancement is probably mediated via singlet oxygen generated by ultrasonically activated hematoporphyrin.