Copolymerization of glycolide and e-caprolactone was conducted in bulk at 100 °C and in nitrobenzene or dioxane at 70,100, or 150 °C. The resulting copolyesters were characterized with respect to their molar composition by means of NMR spectra and with respect to their sequences by means of 13C NMR spectra. The results allow a classification of both copolyesters and initiators. Cationic initiators such as ferric chloride, boron trifluoride, and fluorosulfonic acid favor the incorporation of e-caprolactone, catalyze intermolecular transesterifications, and cause rapid degradation of the polyesters above 100 °C.Complexing catalysts such as zinc chloride, aluminum isopropylate, and dibutyltin dimethylate favor the incorporation of glycolide and chemical heterogeneity of first order. Furthermore, intramolecular transesterification was detected in the case of aluminum isopropylate and dibutyltin dimethylate. Anionic catalysts such as tetramethylammonium benzoate and benzyltriphenylphosphonium chloride only initiate the homopolymerization of glycolide. The polymerization mechanisms are discussed. The differential scanning calorimetry shows a close relationship between crystallinity and nature of sequences.

Continued research in PDT will determine whether the advances shown will mitigate morbidity and mortality, but certainly the potential for this modality to revolutionize the treatment of brain tumors remains. The various uses for PDT in clinical practice should be pursued.

Incidence of cutaneous phototoxic reactions induced by intravenous injection of Photofrin polyporphyrin was assessed in a series of 180 patients (266 injections) undergoing photodynamic therapy (PDT) at Roswell Park Cancer Institute during the period 1986-1989. In addition to the usual verbal questions regarding phototoxic reactions solicited at follow-up, forty-two patients in this group also responded to a written questionnaire designed to solicit answers to specific questions. Photofrin doses ranged from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/kg. Overall, 20-40% of patients reported some type of phototoxic response.

Abstract— The development of an extraction procedure to quantitate dihematoporphyrin ether (DHE) concentration in tissues correlated to fluorescence measurements from instrumentation developed for in vivo fluorimetry was examined. In vivo fluorometric results from mouse mammary carcinoma (SMT‐F) were calibrated against results of the chemical extraction assay quantitated spectrophotometrically. Fluorescence and drug extractable levels increase in a linear fashion with injected dose. Loss of porphyrin fluorescence (photobleaching) and intra‐tumoral porphyrin level has been demonstrated both in vitro (NHIK cells) and in vivo (SMT‐F tumor) during illumination with light following exposure to Hpd or DHE. This process is essentially independent of porphyrin tumor level in vivo and could lead to tumor protection at very low porphyrin levels. On the other hand, this photobleaching process which occurs concurrent with cellular inactivation and tissue damage due to the photodynamic process can be exploited to protect normal tissue during photodynamic therapy (PDT) and thus greatly enhance the therapeutic ratio. This has been demonstrated in patients undergoing PDT.

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