Influence of gastrectomy on the distribution of intravenously administered 5-fluorouracil to regional lymph nodes in an animal model.
BACKGROUND
Neoadjuvant and postoperative chemotherapies have been widely employed for the treatment of patients with gastric carcinoma. However, to the authors' knowledge there have been no studies that focused on pharmacokinetic differences between antineoplastic agents administered before versus after gastrectomy. The influence of gastrectomy on the distribution of antineoplastic agents, especially to the regional lymph nodes, were examined.


METHODS
Twelve pigs were divided into 2 groups of 6 each (i.e., those with and without total gastrectomy). Under general anesthesia, 10 mg/kg of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was injected rapidly. Total gastrectomies were performed before these injections in the group that underwent gastrectomy. In both groups a lymph node at the root of the left gastric artery (1), a preaortic lymph node (2), and venous blood were sampled in 3 animals at 15 minutes and in another 3 animals at 60 minutes after the 5-FU injection. The 5-FU concentrations in these samples were determined by high performance liquid chromatography.


RESULTS
The 5-FU concentrations of 1, 2, and plasma at 15 minutes/60 minutes after injection in the nongastrectomized group were 7.75 x 10(3)/227 ng/g, 7.58 x 10(3)/439 ng/g, and 7.24 x 10(3)/417 ng/mL, respectively. The corresponding concentrations in the gastrectomized group were 6.04 x 10(3)/211 ng/g, 5.80 x 10(3)/206 ng/g, and 5.76 x 10(3)/229 ng/mL, respectively. There were no differences in 5-FU concentrations among any of the lymph nodes or the plasma, regardless of whether gastrectomy was performed.


CONCLUSIONS
No influence of gastrectomy on the distribution of 5-FU to the regional lymph nodes was observed in animal models in the current study.
Seto
Y
Y
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Takenoue
T
T
Nariko
H
H
Kaminishi
M
M
D000818:Animals; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005743:Gastrectomy; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D005472:Fluorouracil