Photophysical properties of sinoporphyrin sodium and explanation of its high photo-activity
Sinoporphyrin sodium (DVDMS) is a novel photosensitizer with high photodynamic therapy (PDT) effect. Reasons for its high photo-activity were investigated according to the study of photophysical characteristics of DVDMS. Extinction coefficients ([Formula: see text] of DVDMS at 405 nm and 630 nm are 4.36 × 105 and 1.84 × 104 M[Formula: see text].cm[Formula: see text]; fluorescence quantum yield ([Formula: see text] is 0.026; quantum yield of lowest triplet state formation is 0.94 and singlet oxygen quantum yield ([Formula: see text] is 0.92. Although [Formula: see text] of DVDMS is only 10% higher than that of Photofrin[Formula: see text] (0.83), the extinction coefficient of DVDMS at 630 nm is 10-fold greater than that of Photofrin[Formula: see text]. This leads to its higher singlet oxygen generation efficiency ([Formula: see text]. The higher [Formula: see text] of DVDMS can result in an effective reduction of dosage (1/10 of Photofrin[Formula: see text] reaching the same cytotoxic effect as Photofrin[Formula: see text]. Even though [Formula: see text] is approximately equal to that of Photofrin[Formula: see text], brightness ([Formula: see text] of DVDMS is 10-fold greater than that of Photofrin[Formula: see text] because of the 10-fold greater extinction coefficient. Thus, fluorescence diagnosis ability of 0.2 mg/kg DVDMS is comparable to that of 2 mg/kg Photofrin[Formula: see text] used in PDT. Overall, the 10-fold greater extinction coefficients are responsible for the high brightness and singlet oxygen generation efficiency of DVDMS.