Data from: Numerical data for systemic effects of photoactivated 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-3-yl) porphyrin on healthy Drosophila melanogaster

<p>Porphyrins are commonly used as photosensitizing agents (PA) in photodynamic therapy (PDT), a non-invasive method predominantly used for the treatment of subcutaneous tumors. Development of novel PA with increased tissue selectivity and effectiveness is important for the wider use of PDT in the treatment of various types of cancers.  We used <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em> as a model organism to study the systemic effects of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(<em>N</em>-methylpyridinium-3-yl)-porphyrin (TMPyP3). First, we defined the optimal feeding protocol and showed that TMPyP3 was absorbed and retained longer in the neuronal than the non-neuronal extracts. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) concentration increased 24 hours after the photoactivation of orally delivered TMPyP3 but only in the head extracts. After 7 days, regardless of the photoactivation, TMPyP3 led to lower concentration of H₂O₂, which correlated with the decreased climbing ability measured as negative geotaxis. The results suggest that systemic treatment with TMPyP3 may interfere with redox regulation and thus impair cellular signaling and behavioral output. Further studies are needed to establish the disruptive effect that porphyrins have on redox homeostasis, how long it persists, and mechanistic differences of retention between different tissues.</p>