Bin Liang, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Gan-Sheng Feng MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Chuansheng Zheng, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Transcatheter intraarterial techniques can improve drug penetration in liver cancer and thus enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy, but its mechanism remains unclear. Intratumoral interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) has been found to be an important determinant of drug penetration in solid tumors. The present study is designed to determine whether transcatheter arterial embolization modifies IFP, and to evaluate whether the modified IFP is related to the improvement of drug penetration in liver cancer.

VX2 tumors were implanted in the livers of 16 rabbits. The animals were divided into 4 groups of 4 animals each. Group 1 (doxo iv) animals received doxorubicin intravenous injection; group 2 (doxo ia) animals received doxorubicin hepatic intraarterial infusion; group 3 (doxo ia + E) received doxorubicin hepatic intraarterial infusion followed by embolization; group 4 (doxo + L ia + E) received hepatic intraarterial infusion of doxorubicin mixed with lipiodol followed by the embolization. After transcatheter treatment, wick-in-needle technique (Mikro-Tip pressure catheter) was used to measure IFP in tumor tissues, and immunofluorescence technique to evaluate the distance of doxorubicin fluorescence from the nearest blood vessel (recognized by CD31).

Tumors in the group 3 (doxo ia + E) and 4 (doxo + L ia + E) showed a significant decrease in IFP compared with the group 1 (doxo iv) and 2 (doxo ia) tumors (P < 0.05) within 1 hour after treatment. Embolization led to a decrease of IFP by 27.11% in group 3 and 31.81% in group 4 tumors, respectively. The change in IFP was significantly correlated with doxorubicin penetration distance (r = 0.671, P = 0.004).

Transcatheter arterial embolization reduce tumor IFP, which probably is responsible for the improvement of drug penetration in liver cancer.

Our results reveal a novel mechanism of transcatheter arterial embolization-mediated improvement of drug penetration in liver cancer. The decrease in tumor IFP, generated by embolization, contributes to drug penetration in liver cancer. Thus, decreasing tumor IFP could represent a promising therapeutic strategy for improving the effectiveness rates of transcatheter therapies for liver cancer.

Liang, B, Feng, G, Zheng, C, A Mechanism of Transcatheter Arterial Embolization-mediated Improvement of Drug Penetration in Liver Cancer.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14019683.html