Fluorescence spectroscopy study of protoporphyrin IX metabolism level in cells.

Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to study the protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) metabolism level in chick embryos during the cell proliferation process. The emission spectra were measured for PpIX bound to albumin from nonincubated and incubated eggs. The relative characteristic emission intensity of PpIX was used to determine the level of PpIX metabolism as a function of the embryonic development time. This technique might be used to estimate tumor development time.