Photodynamic therapy (
PDT) is a promising therapeutic modality that utilizes a combination of a
photosensitizer and visible light for the destruction of diseased tissues. Using human-pigmented
melanoma cells, we examined the photokilling efficacy of new
silicon-phthalocyanines (
SiPc) that bore bulky axial substituents. The bis(cholesteryloxy) derivate (Chol-O-
SiPc) displayed the best in vitro photokilling efficacy (LD(50) = 6-8 x 10(-9) M) and was seven to nine times more potent than chloro-
aluminium Pc (ClAlPc), a known
photosensitizer used as a reference. Although Chol-O-
SiPc was half as potent as ClAlPc for promoting photo-oxidative membrane damage in a cell-free assay, early events of mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis upon
PDT were triggered much faster, as demonstrated by kinetics studies examining cells with permeabilized mitochondrial membranes,
cytochrome c release and
caspase-9 activation. Inhibition of
caspase-9 activity by a substrate analogue argued for its central role in the proapoptotic events leading to cell death by Chol-O-
SiPc PDT. In addition, immunoblots showed that Bcl-2 antiapoptotic
oncoprotein was not a primary target of Chol-O-
SiPc in M3Dau cells treated with
PDT. Conclusively, Chol-O-
SiPc is a useful new
photosensitizer with the property of triggering cell apoptosis mediated by mitochondria.