Mechanism of ultrasound enhanced porphyrin cytotoxicity: Free radical and hematoporphryn effects

Intense ultrasound beams have the potential for treating malignant tumours when combined with sonodynamic sensitizers. Some of these agents, e.g. porphyrins, are also used for photodynamic therapy. However, the experimental evidence is inconsistent. This work attempts to discover if the yield of free-radicals such as .OH and .H which are produced by transient cavitation could explain the killing of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in vitro …