title: Preclinical evaluation of 5-aminolevulinic acid-based photodynamic therapy for canine transitional cell carcinoma.
abstract: As a prelude to photodynamic therapy, 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) was given orally to healthy dogs. ALA-induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence significantly increased in the mucosa of the urinary bladder in an ALA dose-dependent fashion. Vomiting occurred after ALA administration in 70% of the dogs but did not affect PpIX fluorescence. ALA-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) of the urinary bladder in healthy dogs caused only submucosal oedema within the bladder wall. No haematologic or serum biochemistry abnormalities were observed after ALA administration. Microscopic haematuria was observed in all the dogs after PDT but was mild and self limiting. ALA-based PDT was administered to six dogs with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the lower urinary tract. ALA-based PDT resulted in tumour progression-free intervals from 4 to 34 weeks in five dogs; one dog with pre-existing hydronephrosis died shortly after PDT. Dogs with TCC represent an outbred, spontaneous, tumour model for developing PDT protocols for humans with bladder cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA. mlucroy@purdue.edu
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Lucroy
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Ridgway
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Peavy
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Krasieva
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Higbee
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Blaik