Depolymerization of hyaluronate by the phototoxic drugs phenothiazines and sulfacetamide

Abstract

Phenothiazines (promazine, promethazine, chlorpromazine) and sulfacetamide, known as phototoxic drugs, depolymerize aqueous sodium hyaluronate (HA) on exposure to light. The reduction in the HA molecular weight was followed by size-exclusion chromatography with low-angle laser light scattering. In the low-concentration region of the drugs below 0.05 mM, the rate constants of depolymerization increased. The molecular weight of HA was practically unchanged without UV irradiation in the presence of drugs or with UV irradiation in the absence of drugs, indicating the phenothiazines and sulfacetamide require photoenergy to yield any kind of damaging chemical species for HA depolymerization. An involvement of active oxygen radicals in the effects of promazine and promethazine was evidenced by inhibition under anaerobic conditions. Further, addition of mannitol controlled the reaction in the presence of oxygen, pointing to hydroxyl radicals as the damaging agent. Chlorpromazine and sulfacetamide preferably depolymerized HA under anaerobic conditions, suggesting the participation of hydrated electrons.