PHOTOTHROMBOSIS USING TWO DIFFERENT PHTHALOCYANINE ADMINISTRATION ROUTES: CONTINUOUS I.V. INFUSIO versus BOLUS I.V. INJECTION*

Chloraluminum sulfonated phthalocyanine was administered in 22 albino rabbits either by means of bolus i.v. (intravenous) injection (6 mg/kg) or as continuous i.v. infusion. Eight animals were used for the comparison of plasma phthalocyanine change as a factor of time, using the two administration methods. Photothrombosis of corneal neovascularization was carried out in the remaining 14 animals either after bolus phthalocyanine injection or after continuous i.v. infusion. Irradiation of the right eye's vessels started 10 min after the injection in the bolus group and 35 min after initiation of infusion in the continuous infusion group. The vessels of each animal's left eye were irradiated 1 h after the irradiation of the right eye. The initial peak of phthalocyanine concentration after bolus injection was followed by a rapid decrease of plasma levels. In the continuous infusion group,30–40 min after the initiation of infusion, plasma phthalocyanine concentration reached a plateau that remained stable for the rest of the80–90 min of infusion. Using bolus injection, a significant decrease of phthalocyanine concentration was accompanied by a significant increase of irradiation time necessary for neovascularization thrombosis in the two eyes. Irradiation time as well as phthalocyanine concentration did not differ between the two eyes using continuous infusion. Vascular photosensitivity seemed to be higher using continuous i.v. infusion of phthalocyanine. Continuous i.v. infusion represents an interesting alternative to bolus injection for phthalocyanine‐mediated corneal neovascularization photothrombosis.