Volume changes of human endothelial cells induced by photodynamic treatment

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has shown promising results in treatment of malignant tumors. However, the mechanisms leading to tumor destruction during PDT are still not completely understood. In addition to effects on the microcirculation, damage to cellular structures has been observed following exposure of cells to PDT. A phenomenon preceding these events might possibly be cell swelling. We therefore studied the influence of treatment with Photofrin (PF) and laser light on volume changes and cell viability of endothelial cells. Endothelial cells were obtained from human umbilical cord veins (HUVEC) by an adaption of the method of Maruyama (1963). After subcultivation the cells were harvested and transferred as a cell suspension into a specially designed incubation chamber. Cells received either PF in concentrations of 1.5 or 3.0 (mu) g/ml and laser illumination (630 nm; 40 mW/cm2, 4 Joule), PF alone, or laser treatment only. Following start of PF incubation and after phototreatment cell samples were taken for volume measurements using flow cytometry and for studies of cellular morphology using scanning electron microscopy. Simultaneously, cell viability was monitored by the trypan blue exclusion test and colorimetric MTT assay. (abstract truncated)© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.