Pheophorbide a-mediated photodynamic therapy induces apoptotic cell death in murine oral squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in vivo

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with several photosensitizers is a promising modality for the treatment of cancer. In this study, the therapeutic effect of PDT using the synthetic photosensitizer pheophorbide a (Pa-PDT) was examined in AT-84 murine oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. The MTT assay revealed that Pa-PDT induced cell growth inhibition in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Pa-PDT treatment significantly induced intracellular ROS generation, which is critical for cell death induced by Pa-PDT. Cell cycle analysis showed the increased sub-G1 proportion of cells in Pa-PDT-treated cells. Induction of apoptotic cell death was confirmed by DAPI staining and the reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) on Pa-PDT-treated cells. The changes in apoptosis-related molecules were next examined using western blotting. Cytochrome c release and cleavage of caspase-3 and PAPR were observed in AT-84 cells, whereas Bcl-2 protein levels were decreased. To determine the therapeutic effect of Pa-PDT in vivo, a murine OSCC animal model was used. Treatment of mice with Pa-PDT significantly inhibited tumor growth, especially PDT with Pa intravenous administration (i.v. Pa-PDT), and increased proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) levels and TUNEL-stained apoptotic cells compared to vehicle-treated controls. The data demonstrate that the in vitro effects of Pa-PDT on the inhibition of tumor cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis correlate to the anticancer activity of Pa-PDT in vivo. Our findings suggest the therapeutic potential of Pa-PDT in OSCC.