Experiments were performed to determine whether the expression and/or repair of potentially lethal damage could be observed in mammalian cells exposed to hemataporphyrin derivative (HPD) photodynamic therapy (PDT). Photodynamic therapy was combined with posttreatment protocols known to inhibit the repair of potentially lethal damage in cells treated with X-rays, ultraviolet radiation, or alkylating agents. Potentiation of lethal damage from photodynamic therapy was induced by hypothermia (4 degrees C) following short (1 h) or extended (16 h) HPD incubation conditions. Caffeine potentiated the lethal effects of PDT only when cells were incubated with HPD for extended time periods. However, 3-aminobenzamide had no effect on the cytotoxic actions of PDT following either short or extended HPD incubations. Recovery from potentially lethal damage expressed by posttreatment hypothermia was complete within 1 h, while recovery from potentially lethal damage expressed by posttreatment caffeine required time periods of up to 24 h. The lack of effect of 3-aminobenzamide on expression of potentially lethal damage following photodynamic therapy may be related to direct inhibition of adenosine diphosphoribose transferase by photodynamic therapy. These results indicate that the expression and repair of potentially lethal damage can be observed in cells treated with PDT and will vary as a function of porphyrin incubation conditions.