[Apoptosis-inducing effect of 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy (5-ALA-PDT) on cervical cancer cell lines].

Background & Objective: 5-Aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) is a new ablation treatment for tumors, while its function mechanism in cervical cancer is unclear. This study was to investigate the effects of ALA-PDT on cervical cancer cell lines.

Methods: The effects of ALA-PDT on proliferation of 8 human cervical cancer cell lines were examined by MTT assay to find out the optimal function parameters of ALA-PDT and the most sensitive cell line. The effect of ALA-PDT on apoptosis of cervical cancer cell line Me180 was investigated by using Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining, Hoechst 33342 staining and May-Grunwald-Farbstoff Giemsa staining. Cell cycle of Me180 cells was observed by flow cytometry with PI staining. The effect of ALA-PDT on the expression of survivin in Me180 cells was detected by Western blot and real-time fluorescence reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Results: Among the 8 cell lines, Me180 cell line was most sensitive to ALA-PDT; 2 mmol/L ALA, 10 J/cm(2) light dose and 3-hour treatment were the optimal function parameters of ALA-PDT, and the 50% inhibition concentration (IC(50)) of ALA-PDT under this situation for Me180 cells was 7.28x10(-4) mmol/L. ALA-PDT induced apoptosis and G0/G1 phase arrest of Me180 cells, and suppressed the mRNA and protein expression of survivin in Me180 cells.

Conclusion: ALA-PDT can inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of cervical cancer cell line Me180 in vitro, which may relate with the suppression of survivin expression.