title: Thermochemical ablation therapy of VX2 tumor using a permeable oil-packed liquid alkali metal.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alkali metal appears to be a promising tool in thermochemical ablation, but, it requires additional data on safety is required. The objective of this study was to explore the effectiveness of permeable oil-packed liquid alkali metal in the thermochemical ablation of tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Permeable oil-packed sodium-potassium (NaK) was prepared using ultrasonic mixing of different ratios of metal to oil. The thermal effect of the mixture during ablation of muscle tissue ex vivo was evaluated using the Fluke Ti400 Thermal Imager. The thermochemical effect of the NaK-oil mixture on VX2 tumors was evaluated by performing perfusion CT scans both before and after treatment in 10 VX2 rabbit model tumors. VX2 tumors were harvested from two rabbits immediately after treatment to assess their viability using trypan blue and hematoxylin and eosin (H.E.) staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The injection of the NaK-oil mixture resulted in significantly higher heat in the ablation areas. The permeable oil controlled the rate of heat released during the NaK reaction with water in the living tissue. Perfusion computed tomography and its parameter map confirmed that the NaK-oil mixture had curative effects on VX2 tumors. Both trypan blue and H.E. staining showed partial necrosis of the VX2 tumors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NaK-oil mixture may be used successfully to ablate tumor tissue in vivo. With reference to the controlled thermal and chemical lethal injury to tumors, using a liquid alkali in ablation is potentially an effective and safe method to treat malignant tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Department of Radiology, Haikou People's Hospital, Xiangya Medical School Central South University, Haikou City, Hainan, China.
authors.forename: Ziyi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoguang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhengyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jing
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008672:Metals, Alkali / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019042:Muscle Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000601:surgery*; D011817:Rabbits; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D008672:Metals, Alkali