Morphological observation on the photodynamic effect of carcinophotorin plus light radiation killing human liver cancer cells in vivo

The morphological changes on the implants of a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line SMMC-7721 in the Balb/c nude mice were observed under the optic microscope and transmission electron microscope at various times after treatment with carcinophotorin plus red light. Under the optic microscope the cell structure showed that the cytoplasm transformed into acidophilic, with granular degeneration, karyopyknosis and karyolysis. Meanwhile, there were significant vasodilatation, vascular obstruction and haemorrhage in and round the tissue of the implants. Under the electron microscope the structure showed that the mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum dilated and had vacuoles. The number of lysosome increased greatly. Condensed heterchromatin clumped against the nuclear membrane. The above pathological changes were getting obvious with the lapse of time after treatment.