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Binding, aggregation and photochemical properties of methylene blue in mitochondrial suspensions
Author(s) -
Gabrielli Dino,
Belisle Eduardo,
Severino Divinomar,
Kowaltowski Alicia J.,
Baptista Mauricio S.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-1097.2004.tb00389.x
Subject(s) - methylene blue , mitochondrion , photochemistry , chemistry , singlet oxygen , biophysics , membrane potential , photodynamic therapy , irradiation , inner mitochondrial membrane , reactive oxygen species , proton , oxygen , biochemistry , biology , photocatalysis , organic chemistry , physics , nuclear physics , catalysis , quantum mechanics
Methylene Blue (MB) has well‐established photochemical properties and has been used in a variety of photochemical applications including photodynamic therapy. Despite the fact that most of MB's cytotoxic effects in cells are attributed to mitochondrial damage, the interactions of this dye with mitochondria and the consequent effects on photochemical properties have not yet been fully determined. We monitored MB binding, aggregation and its ability to release singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) on irradiation when interacting with mitochondrial suspensions. MB actively binds to mitochondria and enters the matrix in a manner stimulated by the mitochondrial proton potential and by the increase in mitochondrial concentrations. The greater accumulation of MB in mitochondria with elevated proton potentials or those treated with high concentrations of MB results in the formation of MB dimers, previously shown to be less effective generators of 1 O 2 . Accumulation of MB within mitochondria with high membrane potentials also results in the reduction of MB to the photochemically inactive leuco‐MB. Indeed, irradiation of mitochondria with high proton potentials in the presence of MB results in the generation of approximately half the quantity of 1 O 2 compared with 1 O 2 generated in mitochondria with low proton potentials. These differences in photochemical properties should influence the cytotoxic effects of photodynamic treatment in the presence of MB.