[Effects of interventional therapy with norcantharidin microsphere on hepatoma in rats and its mechanism].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of interventional therapy with norcantharidin-alginic acid/poly acid anhydride microspheres (N-MS) infusion via hepatic artery on hepatoma in rats.


METHODS
N-MS was prepared by emulsion-chemical crosslink technique. Eighty-nine hepatoma-bearing rats were randomly divided into five groups, which were normal saline group, norcantharidin (NCTD) group, blank microsphere (B-MS) group, NCTD-lipiodol group and N-MS group. Normal saline, NCTD, B-MS, NCTD-lipiodol and N-MS were injected via hepatic artery accordingly. After the interventional therapy, eight rats from each group were observed for survival time, and the rest rats were killed on the 8th day after intervention to measure the tumor volume and necrostic degree. The apoptotic index of liver tumor cells was detected by TUNEL staining, and the expression of ki-67 was assayed by immuno-histochemical streptavidin-biotin peroxidase method.


RESULTS
The survival time of the rats in the N-MS group was prolonged as compared with those in the other four groups, and the tumor volume of the rats in the N-MS group was smaller than those in the other four groups. The tumor growth rate and the expression level of ki-67 in the N-MS group were both significantly lower than those in the other four groups. The tumor necrotic degree and the apoptotic index in the N-MS group were significantly higher than those in the other four groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Interventional therapy with N-MS could yield preferable therapeutic effects on hepatomas in rats. This anti-tumor efficacy may be associated with microvessel embolization in liver tumor and the sustained releasing of NCTD. Its inhibiting effect on tumor cell proliferation maybe result from decreasing the expression of Ki-67 and inducing the tumor cell apoptosis.
Li
Qi
Q
Department of Oncology, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China. Lzwf@hotmail.com
Fan
Zhong-Ze
ZZ
Li
Xian-Qian
XQ
Liu
Xiao-Hua
XH
Sun
Jue
J
Gu
Wei
W
Heng
Paul
P
Gao
Hong
H
D000464:Alginates / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy; D008863:Microspheres; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats
D000464:Alginates; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; C069741:norcantharidin; D020723:Glucuronic Acid