THE HEMOLYTIC ACTION OF PHOTOFLUORESCEIN

Abstract

Long continued irradiation (300 hrs., visible spectrum of sunlight) changed a dilute soln. of Na-fluorescein into its photocompound. The isolated photofluorescein produced hemolysis in the dark to the same extent that fluorescein does in the light. Short 2 hr. previous irradiation of fluorescein produced minute quantities of photofluorescein which produced hemolysis when added to blood cells. It is concluded that the formation of minute quantities of the photocompounds of fluorescent substances is the active mechanism of photodynamic hemolysis when blood cells are hemolyzed in the presence of light and a sensitizing fluorescent substance.