Rhodamine-123 as effective agent in rat prostate tumor R3327-H. Preliminary report

Rhodamine-123 is a fluorescent dye that preferentially stains mitochondria and causes damage to mitochondria of malignant cells. The effect of this mitochondriacide on the transplantable rat prostate tumor R3327-H was determined in this study. Rhodamine was administered subcutaneously every other day at a dosage of 15 mg/Kg body weight for fifty-two days. There was significant alteration of the acinar cells with disruption of the cells from the basement membrane, as well as vacuolization and change in fibroblast shape and density. Rhodamine-123 may have a role in the treatment of prostatic cancer.