title: Gemcitabine adsorbed onto carbon particles increases drug concentrations at the injection site and in the regional lymph nodes in an animal experiment and a clinical study.
abstract: This study investigated whether gemcitabine, adsorbed onto activated carbon particles (GEM-AC), increased the concentration of gemcitabine at the injection site and in the regional lymph nodes in an experimental animal model and a clinical study. The adsorption isotherm for GEM-AC was  defined, and the concentration and distribution of gemcitabine in rats (n = 50) and in patients with pancreatic cancer (n = 8) was investigated. Drug concentrations in plasma, tumour samples, lymph nodes and at the injection site were measured after GEM-AC or gemcitabine solution  (GEM-Sol) were subcutaneously injected into the left hind foot pad in rats, or into pancreatic tumours in patients. These experiments showed that GEM-AC was selectively delivered to the regional lymph nodes and the injection site, from which it slowly released greater amounts of gemcitabine  to maintain the free concentration of gemcitabine at a relatively high level for a long period of time. The administration of GEM-AC might enhance the anticancer effects of gemcitabine.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D007267:Injections; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution / Q000187:drug effects; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D002244:Carbon; D000093542:Gemcitabine