Destruction of implanted gastric tumors in rats by acridine orange photoactivation with an argon laser.

The phototoxicity of acridine orange and argon laser irradiation on Walker carcinosarcoma 256 stomach tumors was studied. Wistar strain rats bearing stomach tumors 4-6 mm in diameter 5-10 days after their implantation were injected intraperitoneally with 40 mg/kg of acridine orange 2 hr before irradiation. Then the forestomach was opened and the tumors were exposed to the argon laser at 488 nm at an intensity of 15 mW/cm2 for 20 min. Tumors in rats treated with acridine orange were brightly fluorescent during irradiation. No marked temperature rise was detected during irradiation. Argon irradiation significantly prolonged the survival of rats treated with acridine orange. Histologically, complete or partial tumor necrosis was observed, with sparing of surrounding mucosa, in rats treated by the combination therapy. Phase-contrast and electron microscopy showed that cytotoxicity was mediated by changes in the cell, nuclear and lysosomal membranes. Neither the dye nor laser alone had any effect.