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Published on: May 11, 2018
Pu-18-N-butylimide-NMGA-GNP conjugate is effective against hepatocellular carcinoma
Jin-Geun Kwon1, In-Sung Song1, Min-Soo Kim1
1National Research Laboratory for Mitochondrial Signaling, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Center, Inje University, Busan, Korea.
Background:
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new modality in the treatment of cancer. This study thus aims to examine whether the PDT is effective against in vivo hepatocellular carcinoma.
Methods:
In vivo efficacy of PDT on hepatocellular carcinoma was tested in xenografted mice with human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (Huh7) by utilizing a gold nanoparticles (GNPs) conjugate of new photosensitizer (PS), purpurin-18-N-butylimide-N-methyl-D-glucamine (Pu-18-N-butylimide-NMGA). The conjugate (PS-GNPs) was synthesized from the reaction between Pu-18-N-butylimide-NMGA and chloroauric acid (HAuCl4). Mice were arbitrarily assigned into one of three groups. First group received saline alone, second group received PS-GNPs alone, and the last group received both PS-GNPs and irradiation. PS-GNPs was injected directly into the tumor mass and irradiations were performed 24 hours after injection of PS-GNPs.
Results:
Tumor volume was significantly smaller in the group which received both PS-GNPs and irradiation compared with other two groups. Western blot and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay revealed that the group which received both PS-GNPs and irradiation showed larger amount of apoptotic protein and DNA fragmentation compared with other two groups.
Conclusion:
This study suggests that Pu-18-N-butylimide-NMGA-GNP conjugate is an effective agent for PDT in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
