Protoporphyrin IX

Protoporphyrin IX is a final intermediate in the heme biosynthetic pathway, which acts as a radiation sensitizer enhancing ROS generation even in a hypoxic state and inducing DNA damage. Protoporphyrin IX also acts as a photo sensitizer undergoing photobleaching that occurs through direct degradation by light irradiation. Protoporphyrin IX is formed and accumulated following 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) (HY-W000450) administration in the tumor cells of rats. Protoporphyrin IX causes selective improvement of basal cell carcinoma when activated red fluorescence of a peak wavelength at 405 nm. Protoporphyrin IX is promising for research of sonodynamic and photodynamic agents for a wide range of cancers, such as bladder cancer and nodular basal cell carcinoma^{[1][2][3][4][5]}. In Vitro: Aminolevulinic acid (HY-W000450) (40 mg/kg, p.o., a single dose) produces full-thickness Protoporphyrin IX fluorescence in the five superficial, nodular and morpheaform basal cell carcinoma^[3].
Protoporphyrin IX (3.6 nmol/g tissue) tissue can cause necrosis in normal rat colonic mucosa on exposure to light^[4].
Protoporphyrin IX (6.6 nmol/g tumor) delays tumor growth after irradiation of a tumor in rats^[4].
Protoporphyrin IX (0-25 μM, 2 h) rapidly results in increased nuclear G4 levels in Hela cells^[5].
In Vivo: The highest level of Protoporphyrin IX (approximately 6.3 nmol/g tissue) is found in rat liver and intestine, followed by aorta (4.3 nmol/g tissue) and oesophagus (2.1 nmol/g tissue), 3 h after Aminolevulinic acid (300 mg/kg, i.v., a single dose) administration^[4].