Investigation of Caspase ۹ Gene Expression and Apoptosis Induction after Photodynamic Therapy with Zinc Phthalocyanine in SW۸۷۲ Skin Cancer Cell Line

Background and Objective: The treatment of cancer comes as a great challenge worldwide. Thus the development of effective therapies with minimal side effects is important. Photodynamic therapy is a non-invasive and new therapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the photodynamic effects of a light-sensitive compound, Zinc-phthalocyanine (ZnPc), on cell growth and the expression of caspase-۹ in SW۸۷۲ cell line. Materials and Methods: For cytotoxic effects of photodynamic therapy with ZnPc, MTT assay was conducted. Quantifying the level of caspase-۹ gene expression was carried out with qRT-PCR. The statistical analysis was done by GraphPad Prism ۶ software. Results: MTT assay results showed that photodynamic therapy with ZnPc significantly reduced cancer cell growth. The IC۵۰ for cell line SW۸۷۲ was ۰/۰۳۴ μg/ml in a ۲۴ J/cm۲ light source. qRT-PCR results showed that photodynamic therapy with ZnPc increased the gene expression of caspase-۹ in the treated group. Conclusion: Photodynamic therapy with ZnPc resulted in decreased cell growth and induced apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner in SW۸۷۲ cell lines. Based on the results, photodynamic therapy with ZnPc can be a powerful therapeutic approach for the treatment of skin cancer with minimal side effects.

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Key Words: Photodynamic therapy , Caspase ۹ , Apoptosis , SW۸۷۲