Adriamycin cytotoxicity may stimulate growth of hepatocellular tumours in an experimental model for adjuvant systemic chemotherapy in liver transplantation.
Adjuvant treatment with adriamycin has been suggested to improve results after liver transplantation for hepatocellular cancer. Here we have applied an animal model for evaluation of treatment with adriamycin and/or cyclosporine A on liver tumour growth. Three chemically induced rat liver tumours with various degree of differentiation were transferred to the spleens of syngenic rats. Each recipient group was divided into four subgroups, treated with adriamycin and/or cyclosporine A or none of the drugs. When the tumour was well differentiated no proliferation was found in any of the subgroups. When the tumour exhibited a more pronounced dysplasia, adriamycin stimulated tumour growth. This effect was further increased by cyclosporine. In the animals transplanted with the most aggressive tumour, adriamycin inhibited tumour growth. When given together with cyclosporine this inhibition was counteracted. These data suggest that adriamycin, especially when given together with cyclosporine, may have a stimulatory effect on liver tumour cell growth.
Rissler
Pehr
P
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
Söderdahl
Gunnar
G
Nordman
Tomas
T
Xia
Ling
L
Torndal
Ulla-Britta
UB
Björnstedt
Mikael
M
Ericzon
Bo-Göran
BG
Olsson
Jerker M
JM
Eriksson
Lennart C
LC
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY
D000975:Antioxidants; D004317:Doxorubicin; D005980:Glutathione Reductase