The kinetics of cellular damage after photodynamic action was studied by means of flow- cytometry. Cultured K562 cells were loaded with tetrasulphonated aluminum phthalocyanine and propidium iodide, acridine orange and rhodamine 123 were used to assess the damage done to the cells. Exposure of phthalocyanine-loaded cells to light resulted in the following order of events: increase of the intracellular Pc fluorescence -> mitochondrial damage -> changes of the cell surface and/or volume -> plasma membrane potential vanishing -> severe damage of cell plasma membrane. For all these processes it takes approximately two hours to reach the stationary state.

Date Published: 1 March 1994
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 2078, Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer, (1 March 1994); doi: 10.1117/12.168681

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2078:
Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer
Giulio Jori; Johan Moan; Willem M. Star, Editor(s)