title: Tumour-localising and -photosensitising properties of a novel zinc(II) octadecylphthalocyanine.
abstract: 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-Octadecylphthalocyaninato zinc(II), ZnODPc, incorporated into a Cremophor emulsion, was assayed for its pharmacokinetic and phototherapeutic properties in Balb/c mice bearing an intramuscularly transplanted MS-2 fibrosarcoma. The phthalocyanine was injected intravenously (i.v.) in three doses, i.e. 1.46, 0.73 and 0.37 mumol kg-1 body weight. In all cases, the octadecyl-substituted phthalocyanine showed an unusually high affinity for serum low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and a high efficiency and selectivity of tumour targeting: the maximum accumulation in the tumour occurred at 24 h after injection, whereas no detectable amount of phthalocyanine was recovered from the muscle, i.e. the peritumoral tissue, between 1 h and 1 week after injection. At the same time, low amounts of phthalocyanine were recovered from skin and then only at short times after injection, with skin photosensitivity rapidly disappearing and the phthalocyanine present in the serum only. Tumour photosensitisation studies were carried out at 24 h after administration of 1.46 mumol kg-1 ZnODPc and showed that this phthalocyanine has a very high phototherapeutic efficiency; this is probably a consequence of the multiple mechanisms by which the phthalocyanine induces tumour damage, involving both direct modification of malignant cells and impairment of blood flow, as well as the alteration of a variety of subcellular components, such as mitochondria, the rough endoplasmic reticulum, the perinuclear membrane and, occasionally, cell nuclei. Tumour necrosis appears to be the consequence of both random cell death and apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ometto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabris
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Milanesi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jori
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D007211:Indoles / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D054833:Isoindoles; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D010787:Photosensitivity Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012513:Sarcoma, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D015032:Zinc / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D007211:Indoles; D054833:Isoindoles; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D010860:Pigments, Biological; C061188:zinc 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octa-n-butoxyphthalocyanine; D015032:Zinc; C013647:phthalocyanine