Prediction of myocardial damage depth induced by extracellular photosensitization reaction using fluorescence measurement in vivo

We experimentally studied the correlation between myocardial damage depth due to the extracellular photosensitization reaction (PR) using talaporfin sodium and fluorescence-fall amount (FA), which is calculated from the measured backscattering fluorescence intensity via a manipulatable 7 Fr. laser catheter during the PR operation in vivo to establish treatment depth predictor for a non-thermal tachyarrhythmia treatment. The PR was performed to left and/or right ventricle in the open-chest canine heart. The laser irradiation of 663±2 nm in wavelength via the laser catheter was operated 15 min after the intravenous administration of talaporfin sodium with concentration of 36.2±8.0 μg/ml in plasma. The irradiation was operated with irradiance of 5, 10, 20 W/cm², and duration of 5, 10, 20 s. Backscattering fluorescence of 710±2 nm in wavelength was measured via the laser catheter during the PR. The FA was calculated multiplying the irradiation duration by the fluorescence-fall, which is subtraction of the fluorescence intensity at the kickoff and end of the irradiation. The canine heart was extracted 1 week after the PR and HE stained specimen was histologically evaluated. The correlation of the myocardial damage depth and FA was investigated. We found that FA obtained a logarithmic relation to the myocardial damage depth. We think that the FA might be available to predict the PR induced myocardial damage depth for the application of tachyarrhythmia treatment under catheterization in vivo.