In vitro photodynamic activity of kryptocyanine.

The photophysical properties of 1,1'-diethyl-4,4'-carbocyanine chloride (kryptocyanine) have been measured in methanol solution and for the dye bound to human serum albumin, incorporated in neutral micelles and after incubation with leukemia cells. In all cases, it is found that formation of the triplet state of the dye occurs with low efficiency and that illumination of the dye under aerobic conditions does not produce significant yields of O2(1 delta g). Instead, the only efficient photoprocess involves rapid internal conversion from the first excited singlet state to the ground state, probably via isomerization of the polymethine sequence. These findings are discussed with respect to the demonstrated ability of kryptocyanine to photodestroy leukemic cells.