In addition, cell viability was significantly lower in cells subjected to nanoscale photosensitizer-mediated PDTs than in cells treated with the conventional. In the conventional Photosan group, cells incubated for 2 h at 10 J/cm2 cell showed

a gradual decline in viability as Photosan concentrations increased from 0 to 20 mg/L, with significant differences in cell viabilities at different concentrations. At 20 mg/L, no statistically significant differences in cell viability were observed between conventional and nanoscale Photosan treatments. HepG2 cell-treated nanoscale Photosan showed a different pattern: cell viability declined as OICR-9429 cell line photosensitizer concentrations increased from 0 to 5 mg/L and stabilize thereafter (Figure 1B). According to these findings, 10 and 5 mg/L were used in subsequent experiments Target Selective Inhibitor Library cell line for conventional and nanoscale photosensitizers, www.selleckchem.com/products/Tipifarnib(R115777).html respectively. At fixed photosensitizer incubation times and concentrations, cell viability was significantly affected by light doses. In addition, cell viability was significantly lower in cells subjected to nanoscale photosensitizer-mediated PDTs than in cells treated with the conventional. In the conventional Photosan group, cells

incubated for 2 h in the presence of 5 mg/L photosensitizer showed a gradual decline in cell viability as light doses increased from 2.5 to 10 J/cm2, with significant differences at different light doses. In cells treated with nanoscale Photosan, significant differences in cell viability were observed between exposure at different light intensities, Dimethyl sulfoxide from 0 to 5 J/cm2, with no significant difference in cell viability observed thereafter (Figure 1C). Accordingly, 10 and 5 J/cm2 were used in further experiments

for conventional and nanoscale photosensitizers, respectively. Effects of conventional and nanoscale photosensitizers PDT on human hepatoma cell apoptosis Flow cytometry was used to quantitate apoptosis rates in human hepatoma cells submitted to conventional Photosan-based PDT or nanoscale Photosan-based PDT. Group a cells were the blank control; group b cells were treated with 5 mg/L nanoscale Photosan for 2 h at 5 J/cm2; group c cells received 5 mg/L conventional Photosan for 2 h at 5 J/cm2; group d cells were treated with 10 mg/L conventional Photosan for 4 h at 10 J/cm2. As shown in Figure 2, apoptosis rates for groups a, b, c, and d were 17.14%, 80.33%, 40.66%, and 72.33%, respectively. The treatment groups (groups b, c, and d) significantly differed from the control group a (P < 0.05). Total apoptosis rates were similar in groups b and d (P > 0.05), and significantly higher in group b compared with group c (P < 0.05). Flow cytometry data further confirmed the cytotoxic effects of PDT as detailed above.