title: Bariatric Radioembolization: A Pilot Study on Technical Feasibility and Safety in a Porcine Model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate feasibility of left gastric artery (LGA) yttrium-90 ((90)Y) radioembolization as potential treatment for obesity in a porcine model.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 8 young female pigs (12-13 weeks, 21.8-28.1 kg). Six animals received infusions of (90)Y resin microspheres (46.3-105.1 MBq) into the main LGA and the gastric artery arising from the splenic artery. Animal weight and serum ghrelin were measured before treatment and weekly thereafter. Animals were euthanized 69-74 days after treatment, and histologic analyses of mucosal integrity and ghrelin immunoreactive cell density were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Superficial mucosal ulcerations < 3.0 cm(2) were noted in 5 of 6 treated animals. Ghrelin immunoreactive cell density was significantly lower in treated versus untreated animals in the stomach fundus (13.5 vs 34.8, P < .05) and stomach body (11.2 vs 19.8, P < .05). Treated animals gained less weight than untreated animals over the study duration (40.2 kg ± 5.4 vs 54.7 kg ± 6.5, P = .053). Average fundic parietal area (165 cm(2) vs 282 cm(2), P = .067) and average stomach weight (297.2 g vs 397.0 g, P = .067) were decreased in treated versus untreated animals. Trichrome staining revealed significantly more fibrosis in treatment animals compared with control animals (13.0 vs 8.6, P < .05). No significant differences were identified in plasma ghrelin concentrations (P = .24).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LGA (90)Y radioembolization is promising as a potential treatment for obesity. A larger preclinical study is needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this procedure further.
authors: Departments of Radiology, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tennessee; The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205. Electronic address: alexander.pasciak@gmail.com.
authors: Alexander S
authors: AS
authors: Pasciak
authors: Departments of Radiology, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tennessee; Department of Radiology, The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
authors: Austin C
authors: AC
authors: Bourgeois
authors: Interventional Radiology, Prescott Radiologists, Prescott, Arizona.
authors: Ben E
authors: BE
authors: Paxton
authors: Pathology, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tennessee.
authors: Laurentia
authors: L
authors: Nodit
authors: Office of Laboratory Animal Care, University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, Tennessee.
authors: Patricia N
authors: PN
authors: Coan
authors: Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Baltimore, MD 21205.
authors: Dara
authors: D
authors: Kraitchman
authors: Department of Biostatistics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
authors: Sandra S
authors: SS
authors: Stinnett
authors: Pathology, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tennessee.
authors: Vijay M
authors: VM
authors: Patel
authors: Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Baltimore, MD 21205.
authors: Yingli
authors: Y
authors: Fu
authors: Office of Laboratory Animal Care, University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, Tennessee.
authors: Joleen K
authors: JK
authors: Adams
authors: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, Tennessee.
authors: M Katherine
authors: MK
authors: Tolbert
authors: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, Tennessee.
authors: Cassie N
authors: CN
authors: Lux
authors: Piedmont Radiology, Atlanta, Georgia; Interventional Radiology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors: Aravind
authors: A
authors: Arepally
authors: Departments of Radiology, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tennessee.
authors: Yong C
authors: YC
authors: Bradley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D023421:Models, Animal; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013270:Stomach / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013997:Time Factors; D015431:Weight Loss; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D054439:Ghrelin; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes