Preferential uptake of a water-soluble phthalocyanine by atherosclerotic plaques in rabbits

Michael Eldar*, Yosef Yerushalmi, Efrat Kessler, Mickey Scheinowitz, Uri Goldbourt, Ehud Ben Hur, Ionel Rosenthal, Alexander Battler

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study is the first demonstration of preferential accumulation of a water soluble phthalocyanine dye in atheromatous plaques in the rabbit. Two groups of rabbits with diet-induced atheromatous plaques were killed 4 and 24 h following intravenous administration of copper phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate. Uptake of the dye by plaque-containing and normal appearing aortae was evaluated macroscopically and quantitatively by extraction of the dye from the tissues. The concentration of the dye in the atheromatous plaques was 2.6 and 1.7 times higher than in the normal vessel wall at 4 and 24 h, respectively. The concentration of the dye in normal appearing aortae in the 2 study groups was similar to that of aortae of control rabbits which were fed a normal diet and exposed to the dye for the same time periods. We conclude that copper phthalocyanine accumulates preferentially in atheromatous plaques in rabbits. These findings provide a basis for the utilization of phthalocyanines for plaque identification and for photodynamic therapy of atherosclerosis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)135-139
Number of pages5
JournalAtherosclerosis
Volume84
Issue number2-3
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 1990

Funding

FundersFunder number
US-Israel Binational Science Foundation
United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation

    Keywords

    • Fluorescent
    • Photodynamic therapy
    • Porphyrins

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