Photodynamic effects of hematoporphyrin derivative on the uptake of rhodamine 123 by mitochondria of intact murine L929 fibroblasts and Chinese ovary K1 cells.

Abstract

Abstract— It was shown that the cationic fluorescence probe rhodamine 123 accumulates in mitochondria of murine L929 fibroblasts and Chinese hamster ovary Kl epithelial cells due to the driving force of both plasma membrane and mitochondrial membrane potentials. Photodynamic treatment of L929 cells with hematoporphyrin derivative resulted in an increased uptake of rhodamine 123 and a diminished uptake of 1,1,3,3,3′,3′‐hexamethylindocarbocyanine iodide. This indicates a considerably increased mitochondrial membrane potential, which most likely is the result of a direct or secondary inhibition of the ATP‐synthetase, and a decreased plasma membrane potential. The oxygen consumption rate and the ATP level decreased due to photodynamic treatment. Post‐incubation of L929 cells subsequent to photodynamic treatment revealed that the uptake of rhodamine 123. the ATP content and the oxygen consumption rate were restored. For all parameters similar results were obtained with CHO‐K1 cells, with the exception that during post‐incubation the intracellular ATP content remained at the level reached after illumination. These results indicate that photodynamically induced disturbance of mitochondrial functions and the ATP level are not crucial for the loss of clonogenicity of L929 cells. In CHO‐K1 cells however, the continuously lowered ATP level may have detrimental consequences for cell survival. The photodynamic stimulation of the rhodamine 123 uptake may be a rather general phenomenon. Because rhodamine 123 exhibits a much higher toxicity towards carcinoma cells than towards other cells, a synergistic interaction between this drug and photodynamic therapy (PDT) may be anticipated, if PDT also stimulates mitochondrial rhodamine 123 accumulation in carcinoma in vivo.