title: Chlorophyllin-M: A new substance for photodynamic therapy in the retina and choroid.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chlorophyllin-M is a new chlorophyll-based derivative photosensitive compound developed by our research group with easy laboratorial synthesis and ideal properties for photodynamic therapy (PDT). It is intended for clinical treatments with simple and low cost techniques and reagents. The objective of this study is to evaluate if intravenous chlorophyllin-M is able to deliver a photosensitizer to rabbit retina and rabbit choroid and promote PDT after ocular irradiation with a 660 nm LASER.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a pre-clinical study. Ten eyes of five pigmented Californian rabbits were included in the study. The right eyes served as the treatment group, and the left eyes served as the control group. All eyes had been ophthalmologically evaluated and were considered normal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ophthalmic exam with anterior biomicroscopy, dilated fundus examination, and fluorescein angiography after the LASER procedure revealed normal anterior segment, retinal and choroid vessels occlusion, lumen narrowing, and capillary non-perfusion in the treated areas, indicating that PDT was successful in the treatment eyes group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this pre-clinical study encourage future studies with this new compound. Chlorophyllin-M may become a new cost-effective agent in the retinal therapeutic arsenal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo Andre, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo Henrique Araujo
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Salomao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Unicastelo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adjaci Uchoa
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mauricio S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Baptista
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo Andre, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Paulo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Tardivo
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo Andre, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Denise Maria
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Christofolini
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo Andre, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Correa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002735:Chlorophyllides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002829:Choroid / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D016587:Antimutagenic Agents; D002735:Chlorophyllides; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; C007020:chlorophyllin
keywords: LASER; neovascular; ocular