Detection and photodynamic therapy of inflamed atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid artery of rabbits

Upconversion nanoparticle-mediated photodynamic therapy induces THP-1 macrophage apoptosis via ROS bursts and activation of the mitochondrial caspase pathway

“…PDT utilizes a combination of chemical photosensitizers, light, and molecular oxygen and has long been used in the treatment of cancer. Our group has previously confirmed that 5-aminolevulinic-acidmediated PDT retarded the progression of AS by reducing both the numbers and the content of plaques, 10 which was consistent with the results of the study by Waksman et al 9 who observed that MV0611-mediated PDT decreases plaque inflammation and attenuates the progression of the disease. However, conventional PDT using VIS light has an important weakness, as the absorbance of VIS light by biomolecules results in low penetration efficiency because this form of light cannot pass through thick tissue.…”

“…7 PDT has also been used to treat cardiovascular pathologies, including AS and restenosis, 8,9 and our group previously testified that 5-aminolevulinicacid-mediated PDT both decreases macrophage content and inhibits plaque progression in rabbit carotid artery AS models. 10 However, a drawback of conventional therapy is the requirement of direct illumination of the tissue by either visible (VIS) or ultraviolet (UV) light to excite the photosensitizers, which have limited penetration depth due to both the absorption and scattering of light by biological tissues, thereby resulting in ineffective therapeutic effects. 11,12 The use of near-infrared (NIR) light in PDT can afford greater penetration depths than that of VIS light because the absorbance for most biomolecules reaches a minimum in the NIR window (700-1,100 nm), 13 and the usefulness of the upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) that can convert NIR light to VIS light for noninvasive imaging of deep tissues, drug delivery, and PDT has been shown.…”

The efficacy and mechanism of apoptosis induction by hypericin-mediated sonodynamic therapy in THP-1 macrophages

“…34 Our group previously confirmed that PpIX could enter athermanous plaques in the rabbit carotid artery. 5 We found that PpIX mainly targeted and accumulated in metabolically active inflammatory macrophages in the athermanous plaques of ApoE -/-mice (data not shown). In the present study, we focused on the use of SDT to induce macrophage apoptosis to stabilize the plaques.…”

“…1 Macrophages play a pivotal role in atherogenesis, and the phenotype and quantity of these cells in atherosclerotic lesions influence both disease progression and plaque regression. 2 Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been used to treat cardiovascular pathologies, including AS and restenosis, [3][4][5] which produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) and photo-induced biological damage according to the principle of energy transfer from light to a photosensitizer in tissues. 6 However, because of its poor tissue penetration, PDT is limited to superficial lesions.…”

Apoptosis of THP-1 macrophages induced by protoporphyrin IX-mediated sonodynamic therapy

“…15,16 Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) is known to be a component of hematoporphyrin. Our previous research showed that selective accumulation of PpIX in atherosclerotic plaque was 12 times higher than in normal vessel walls, 17 indicating the possibility of an atherosclerosis-selective therapeutic agent.…”