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Protective Effect of β-Carotene against Lethal Photosensitization by Hæmatoporphyrin

Abstract

THE carotenoid pigments of certain bacteria can protect the micro-organisms against lethal photosensitization by visible light in the presence of the dye, toluidine blue1,2. Since mice can also be lethally sensitized to visible light by the administration of hæmatoporphyrin intraperitoneally, it seemed likely that injection of the carotenoid pigment, (β-carotene, would protect against the lethal photosensitization.

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MATHEWS, M. Protective Effect of β-Carotene against Lethal Photosensitization by Hæmatoporphyrin. Nature 203, 1092 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/2031092a0

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