In vivo intravascular laser photodynamic therapy in rabbit atherosclerotic lesions using a lateral direction fiber.
OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to evaluate the possibility of inducing regression of atherosclerotic foci by photodynamic therapy (PDT) using hematoporphyrin derivative (HpD).


METHODS
Atherosclerotic rabbits were divided into four groups: A (n = 6) and C (n = 6) were given 5 mg/kg of HpD intravenously; Groups B (n = 4) and D (n = 4) were not. Twenty-four hours after HpD administration, the aortae of groups A and B were exposed to 200 mw output argon dye laser beam at 630 nm for 10 minutes; groups C and D were exposed to 400 mw for 5 minutes. Three rabbits from groups A and C and two rabbits from groups B and D were sacrificed immediately after laser photoradiation, being named groups A 0, C 0 and groups B 0, D 0, respectively. Groups A 7, C 7, and Groups B 7, D 7 were sacrificed 7 days after the photoradiation.


RESULTS
In groups A 7 and C 7, most intimal cells and endothelial cells had become necrotic and disappeared, and a loss of intima was observed. No such changes were found in groups B 7, D 7.


CONCLUSIONS
The above data suggest that PDT caused effective regression of the atherosclerotic lesions.
Katoh
T
T
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Medical College, Japan.
Asahara
T
T
Naitoh
Y
Y
Nakajima
H
H
Usui
M
M
Rakue
H
H
Amemiya
T
T
Miyagi
M
M
Ibukiyama
C
C
D000818:Animals; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000473:pathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006415:Hematoporphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053685:Laser Therapy; D009336:Necrosis; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D010784:Photomicrography; D011817:Rabbits; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology
D006415:Hematoporphyrins