Drug phototoxicity in mice.

A series of agents with alleged photosensitizing properties has been studied in mice by a quantitative in vivo method for acute drug phototoxicity. The method, originally developed for phenothiazine studies, was found suitable for several drug groups with varying mechanism of action, such as tetracyclines, protoporphyrin and psoralens. In the sulfa group only sulfanilamide was active, although weakly. Phototoxicity in vivo, hitherto not demonstrated, was observed with griseofulvin, nalidixic acid, imperatorin, kynurenic acid and amiodarone.