Photoinactivation of different human tumor cell lines and sheep red blood cells in vitro by liposome-bound Zn(II) Phthalocyanine: Effects of cholesterol

The in vitro photoinactivation of human tumor cell lines and sheep red blood cells (SRBC) by Zinc (II) Phthalocyanine (ZnPc) was investigated using unilamellar liposome (LUV) as delivery system, in the presence and absence of cholesterol (CHOL) in the formulation. The presence of CHOL improves the stability of the system showing to be essential for the photodynamic action of ZnPc. LUVs prepared without CHOL did not present any antiproliferative effects neither induced significant photohaemolysis. The presence of ZnPc in the culture medium caused total cell growth inhibition (TGI) only at concentrations higher than 250 μmol dm−3. For ZnPc in LUV/CHOL (mass ratio = 3:1), the mean TGI values for almost all studied cells were around 80 μmol dm−3, and 14 μmol dm−3 for human ovarian carcinoma (NIH: OVCAR-3) cells. The cytoplasmic components of OVCAR-3 and SRBC when irradiated in presence of ZnPc in LUV/CHOL were completely destroyed, culminating in cell swelling, lysis and death by necrosis.