Effect of preoperative regional artery chemotherapy on proliferation and apoptosis of gastric carcinoma cells.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of preoperative regional artery chemotherapy (PRACT) in inducing growth inhibition and apoptosis of gastric carcinoma (GC) cells.


METHODS
TUNEL (terminal-deoxynucleotidyl-transferase TdT-mediated dUTP-fluorescein and labeling) method and immunohistochemical techniques were used to detect the state of apoptosis and proliferation of GC cells in histopathologic sections. A total of 110 cases of GC and 68 cases of metastatic lymph node with or without PRACT were adopted. Correlations between apoptosis index (AI), proliferation index (PI) and PRACT and prognosis were analysed.


RESULTS
The apoptosis index (AI) was significantly higher in the PRACT group (12.5 +/-4.33 ) than in the untreated group (7.1 +/-3.43 , P<0.001), whereas the proliferation index (PI) in the PRACT group (33.8%+/-8.8%) was significantly lower than that in untreated group (43.6%+/-12.8%, P<0.01). Both AI and PI were correlated to the differentiation degree of GC in PRACT group, the AI in the differentiated group was higher than that in undifferentiated group (P<0.001), but the PI was lower in the differentiated group than that of the undifferentiated group (P<0.01). The AI of GC cells in metastatic lymph node was also significantly higher in the PRACT group (7.9 +/-3.41 ) than in the untreated group (3.6 +/-2.93 , P<0.01), though the PI of GC cells in metastatic lymph nodes in the PRACT group (17.2%+/-6.8%) was significantly lower than that in the untreated group (26.7%+/-9.3%, P<0.01). The severity of histopathologic changes was significantly higher in the PRACT group than in the untreated group (P<0.05). In addition, postoperative surveys demonstrated that the 5-year survival rate of GC patients in the PRACT group was significantly higher than that of patients in the untreated group (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative regional artery chemotherapy (PRACT) showed inhibitory action on the growth of GC cells mainly through inhibiting proliferation and inducing the apoptosis of tumor cells. PRACT can improve the progno sis of GC patients also.
Tao
Hou-Quan
HQ
Department of Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang Province, China. houquantao@yahoo.com
Zou
Shou-Chun
SC
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery