title: Anticancer effect of photodynamic therapy with hexenyl ester of 5-aminolevulinic acid in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Five-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) and its derivatives act as precursors of the photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). In this study, the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with hexenyl ester of ALA (ALA-hx) was examined in a human oral squamous cell carcinoma, YD10B cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  PpIX accumulation and mRNA expression of coproporphyrinogen oxidase (CPO) by ALA and ALA-hx was examined. Cell viability was examined by MTT assay and the molecular mechanism was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PpIX synthesis and mRNA expression of CPO was much higher in the cells treated with ALA-hx than ALA. At the concentration that PDT with ALA did not affect cell growth, ALA-hx PDT effectively produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and suppressed cell growth. Growth inhibition by ALA-hx PDT was due to mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that ALA-hx PDT effectively induced apoptosis of YD-10B cells and can be considered as a therapeutic alternative for oral cancer.
authors: Department of Pathology, School of Dentistry, Chosun University, Gwangju 501-759, Korea.
authors: Yeon-Hee
authors: YH
authors: Moon
authors: Jong-Hwan
authors: JH
authors: Park
authors: Soo-A
authors: SA
authors: Kim
authors: Jee-Bum
authors: JB
authors: Lee
authors: Sang-Gun
authors: SG
authors: Ahn
authors: Jung-Hoon
authors: JH
authors: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D011524:Protoporphyrins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid; C028025:protoporphyrin IX; D053148:Caspase 3