Alstonine as a potential fluorescent marker for tiny tumours detection and imaging
3,4,5,6,16,17-Hexadehydro-16-(methoxycarbolyl)-19α-methyl-20α-o xyohimbanium (alstonine) is a fluorescent alcaloid which is known to stain tumor cells more efficiently than normals. The interactions between alstonine and biological macromolecules were first investigated to provide the rationale for preferencial labelling. Molecular filtration and spectrofluorometric techniques with different macromolecules and isopolynucleotides have demonstrated that binding occurs only in the presence of uridyl rings. For the binding affect only the fluorescence intensity of Alstonine it can be assumed that it involves only the side chain of the fluorescent compound. The capability for preferential staining was verified in culture using SK-OV-3 cells and mt hepatocarcinoma cells as turnout cells and Mouse fibroblasts or rat liver cells as controls. Techniques of Image analysis have demonstrated the efficiency, of cellular labelling even in aggregates of rat hepatocarcinoma. These experiments lead the way to the detection of tiny minors developped on thin visceral walls (bladder,...), using a fiber optic device.
