• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.19-24
• /
• 2011

In order to enhance the clinical efficacy of 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT), liposomal formulations using bulk hydrogenated phospholipids from soybean were introduced. Three types of lipids, S75-3, S100-3, and SL80-3 were used for formulating ALA. The pH of all the liposomal ALA is 4.5~5.5 and the size is 50~200 nm. All the liposomal formulations gave better ex vivo ALA skin penetration using nude mice skin in Franz cell than free ALA did. Among them, SL80-3 including 22% of lyso-phosphocholine achieved excellent ALA penetration when compared with those of S75-3 and S100-3 which have only 1~2% of lyso-phospholipids. S100-3 showed a little better results than S75-3 did. Addition of humectants (glycerine, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, betaine) in liposomal ALA formulated with SL80-3 produced little enhancing effect in ALA penetration. On the other hand, addition of surfactants (Tween 20, 60, Brij 72, 76, 78) in same liposomal system produced significant increase in ALA penetration. Among them, transferosomal system of lyso-phospholipid, SL80-3 and the surfactant, Brij76 showed the highest ALA penetration. Furthermore, this system also established the highest in vivo PpIX biosynthesis in hairy mice skin of C57BL/6. These results concluded that the transferosome of SL80-3 and Brij76 produced the best results in both ALA penetration and PpIX biosynthesis, and proved good correlation between them.

• Journal of Photoscience
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.512-514
• /
• 2002

S-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is a new kind drug used in photodynamic therapy. ALA-PDT have successfully used in superficial malignancies and some skin diseases. Here the effects of ALA-PDT were studied on leukemia cells and hepatoma cells to explore the application on different kind cancers. It was found from the fluorescence emission spectra, that after ALA incubation the sensitizer - protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) was endogenously produced in both leukemia and hepatoma cells. The fluorescence images showed that the PpIX distribute in cytoplasm. However the efficiency of ALA photodynamic inactivation to two cell lines was different. The leukemia cells were more sensitive for ALA-PDT than hepatoma cells, revealing that the ALA-PDT effect is cell line dependent. However by using ALA-Hexyl ester (He-ALA) instead of ALA, the cell photo-inactivation was improved. The PDT efficiency of He-ALA was 10 times high than that of ALA, showing He-ALA is a very promising drug in ALA-PDT.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.31 no.9
• /
• pp.818-826
• /
• 2021

5-Aminolevulinic acid phosphate (5-ALA-p) is a substance obtained by eluting 5-ALA (a natural delta amino acid) with aqueous ammonia, adding phosphoric acid to the eluate, and then adding acetone to confer properties suitable for use in photodynamic therapy applications. However, its pharmacological efficacy, including potential mechanisms of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory reactions, remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 5-ALA-p on oxidative and inflammatory stresses in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Our data showed that 5-ALA-p significantly inhibited excessive phagocytic activity via LPS and attenuated oxidative stress in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, 5-ALA-p improved mitochondrial biogenesis reduced by LPS, suggesting that 5-ALA-p restores mitochondrial damage caused by LPS. Additionally, 5-ALA-p significantly suppressed the release of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, which are associated with the inhibition of inducible NO synthase and respective cytokine expression. Furthermore, 5-ALA-p reduced the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and inhibited phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), indicating that the anti-inflammatory effect of 5-ALA-p is mediated through the suppression of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Based on these results, 5-ALA-p may serve as a potential candidate to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.2271-2275
• /
• 2016

Background: The value of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in fluorescence detection of peritoneal metastases and the underlying mechanisms were evaluated in patients with peritoneal surface malignancies. Materials and Methods: Oral 5-ALA was administered at a concentration of 20 mg/kg body weight with 50 ml of water 2 hours prior to surgery (n=115). The diagnostic value of 5-ALA based fluorescence production was evaluated following white light inspection during prior to cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Then, peptide transporter PEPT1 (ALA influx transporter) and ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCG2 (porphyrin efflux transporter) gene expression was determined with quantitative real time (qRT)-PCR and pathological diagnoses confirmed for all tissue samples. Results: The 5-ALA based photodynamic detection rate was 17% for appendiceal mucinous neoplasms, 54% for colorectal cancers, 33% for gastric cancers, 67% for diffuse malign peritoneal mesotheliomas, and 89% for epithelial ovarian cancer of peritoneal metastases. 5-ALA was detected in all cases of peritoneal metastases originating from cholangiocarcinomas whereas it was not able to detect any in granulosa cell and gastrointestinal stromal tumor cases. Furthermore, PEPT1 was overexpressed whereas ABCG2 expression was downregulated in tumors detected with fluorescence. Conclusions: 5-ALA provided 100% specificity and high sensitivity to detect peritoneal metastases in subgroups of patients with peritoneal surface mailgnancies. ALA influx transporter PEPT1 and porphyrin efflux transporter ABCG2 genes are important in tumor specific 5-ALA induced fluorescence in vivo. Further studies should clarify diagnostic utility of 5-ALA in peritoneal surface malignancies.

• Journal of Photoscience
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.521-523
• /
• 2002

5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has been used to stimulate endogenous protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in tumor and then initiate PDT. Recently, ALA-Hexyl ester (He-ALA) was found much effective than ALA on producing PpIX in cancer cells. To clarify the transportation mechanism of ALA and He-ALA, the detection of them is the important step. ALA and its derivatives all don't emit fluorescence, so the Raman spectroscopy was used here for the direct detection of ALA and He-ALA. The results showed that ALA and He-ALA have the common strong Raman peaks at 2930, 2950 CM$\^$-1/, due to the CH$_2$ vibration. The peak 3050 CM$\^$-1/ appeared in ALA spectrum can be attributed to OH vibration, while the peaks of 2860, 2900 CM$\^$-1/ in He-ALA spectrum were assigned as the modes of CH$_3$. This Raman spectral characteristic is consistence with the structure difference of He-ALA and ALA. Thus, Raman spectroscopy provides a new way to detect and distinguish ALA and He-ALA, and could be explored further in biology system.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.21-24
• /
• 2003

Objectives: In this report, we confirmed the distributed pattern of ALA and ALA-methylester in normal and tumor-bearing region. Materials and Methods: ALA and ALA-methylester were administered to nude mouse by intratumoral, subcutaneous and intravenous injection. After injection, the fluorescence in normal and tumor region was measured by LESA (laser electronic spectrum analyzer). Results: The tumor-specificity of ALA and ALA-methylester was shown in the case of intratumoral injection. In all case, the fluorescence caused by ALA and ALA-methylester was maximally increased in 2 hours after injection. Then while the fluorescence level was rapidly decreased to control level in normal region, it was still remained in tumor region. Conclusion: According to this result, The intratumoral injection was more efficient administration method for PDT/PDD than subcutaneous and intravenous injection.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.153-159
• /
• 2009

Recombinant Escherichia coli BLR(DE3) harboring the hemA gene from Rhodobacter capsulatus under the control of a constitutive promoter, which we constructed previously, was used for the extracellular production of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). The effects of several factors on ALA production were investigated in flask culture. ALA production by the recombinant E. coli was more efficient at $30^{\circ}C$ than $37^{\circ}C$. The glycine concentration had an important effect on cell growth. Glycine and succinic acid concentration of 5-10 and 10-20 g/L, respectively, resulted in high ALA production. In addition, the partial replacement of succinic acid by sodium glutamate increased the ALA production. The ALA production was inhibited by the presence of glucose in the medium. Using the optimal conditions, an ALA concentration of 8.2 g/L was achieved in jar fermentation without an added inducer or ALA dehydratase inhibitor; this is the highest reported concentration.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.210-217
• /
• 1992

A photosynthetic bacterium strain KUP-74 producing high amount of S-amino-levulinic acid(ALA) was isolated from soils, which was identified as Rhodocyclus gelatinosus. After 10 days cultivation under anaerobic-light condition at $30^{\circ}C$, 4 Klux and pH 6.8, 5 mg/l of ALA was formed extracellularly. ALA productions were increased up to 8 mg/l and 12 mg/l in cell cultivations either by the addition of 0.5% glycerol (v/v) or 10 mM of glycine and succinic acid, respectively, using Lascelles basal medium eliminated L-glutamic acid. By cultivation in the presence of 30 mM each D,L-glutamic acids and D,L-glutamines the yield of ALA showing a late induction phenomenon was reached the maximum value of 21 mg/l. Different culture times were needed to generate maximum ALA yields by the addition of initial precursors of $C_4$ and $C_5$ pathways in basal medium, as being 107 h and 262 h, respectively. 40 mg/l yield of ALA was observed by cell cultivation with the basal medium containing each 10 mM levulinic acid(LA) and glycine simultaneously.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.356-361
• /
• 2006

The present study was conducted to determine plant growth and physiological responses of corn, barnyardgrass, and soybean to ALA (5-aminolevulinic acid). ALA effect on early seedling growth of test plants was greatly concentration dependant, suggesting that it inhibits at higher concentrations. No significant difference in herbicidal activity of two types of ALA on plant height and weight of test plants was observed. Barnyardgrass was the most sensitive to ALA and followed by corn and soybean, indicating that both crop plants were less affected by ALA concentration as well as different growth stages than barnyardgrass. Greatly reduced chlorophyll contents from leaves of three plant species were observed with increasing of ALA concentration. Compared with untreated controls, higher amounts of three tetrapyrroles were detected from three crop plants, indicating more accumulation in ALA-treated plants. The differential selectivity among plant species would be explained with the differences in tetrapyrrole accumulating capabilities, the susceptibility of various greening groups of plant species to the accumulation of various tetrapyrroles, and their metabolism in various plant tissues. The results indicate that negative biological potential of ALA exhibited differently on plant species, and that the photodynamic herbicidal activity against susceptible plants highly correlated with the extent of tetrapyrrole accumulation by the species.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.9
• /
• pp.1579-1584
• /
• 2007

5-Aminolevulinate (ALA) synthase (E.C. 2.3.1.37), which mediates the pyridoxal phosphate-dependent condensation of glycine and succinyl-CoA, encoded by the Rhodobacter sphaeroides hemA gene, enables Escherichia coli strains to produce ALA at a low level. To study the effect of the enhanced C4 metabolism of E. coli on ALA biosynthesis, NADP-dependent malic enzyme (maeB, E.C. 1.1.1.40) was coexpressed with ALA synthase in E. coli. The concentration of ALA was two times greater in cells coexpressing maeB and hemA than in cells expressing hemA alone under anaerobic conditions with medium containing glucose and glycine. Enhanced ALA synthase activity via coupled expression of hemA and maeB may lead to metabolic engineering of E. coli capable of large-scale ALA production.