[Screening new photosensitizers from Chinese medicinal herbs and searching for herbal photodynamic killing effects on human stomach cancer cells].
OBJECTIVE
To find new photosensitizers from Chinese medicinal herbs for cancer photodynamic therapy.


METHODS
The extracts of thirteen herbs were examined: (1) Their fluorescence excitation wave lengths and emission wave lengths; (2) Their fluorescence intensity in living cells and (3) Their distribution and localization in the living cells and the fixed cells both stained in each extract, and responses of cell fluorescence intensity to pH value change. Furthermore, the herb's anticancer photosensitive efficiencies were studied by using BCG-823 human stomach cancer cells.


RESULTS
Cortex phellodendri and Rhizoma Coptidis, were found with optimal fluorescence properties as photosensitizers in this test. The latter could remarkably reduce the cell metabolic viability, proliferative ability and increased the cell mortality when the cells exposed to both drugs and luminance but not only to drug.


CONCLUSIONS
The potential of Chinese medicine as new kind of photosensitizer and its possibility for use in anticancer photodynamic therapy are existed.
D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects