In vivo and in vitro analysis of the effectiveness of doxorubicin combined with temporary arterial occlusion in liver tumors

Abstract

Purpose: The authors evaluated the effects of daunomycin (daunorubicin)--an analogue of doxorubicin--ethiodized oil, and arterial occlusion on an in vitro hepatoma analogue and on in vivo rat liver tumors.

Materials and methods: A human Sk hepatoma cell monolayer sandwich system was used to determine uptake of 3H-daunomycin under normoxic/hypoxic conditions with use of autoradiography. Fluorescence microscopy was used to evaluate the biodistribution of doxorubicin in cell cultures (human Sk hepatoma and colon carcinoma). Microvascular flow adjacent to and within liver tumors and the intrahepatic effects of doxorubicin and ethiodized oil were studied with in vivo video microscopy on exteriorized rat livers containing peripheral hepatomas.

Results: Increased uptake of 3H-daunomycin by hepatoma cells occurred under hypoxic conditions. Intrahepatic arterial administration of ethiodized oil caused temporary occlusion of peripheral sinusoids following passage through arterioportal anastomoses. Tumors received portal venous and neovascular blood supply and ethiodized oil occluded but did not enter the narrow neovasculature perfusing the tumors.

Conclusion: Hypoxia increases uptake of 3H-daunomycin by human Sk hepatoma and colon carcinoma cell cultures. Selective hepatic arterial occlusion (and perhaps the resultant hypoxia) may facilitate increased uptake of doxorubicin analogues into liver tumors. Hepatomas receive both arterial and portal venous blood supply, and ethiodized oil reaches the tumor via arterioportal anastomoses that perfuse the tumor periphery.