title: Therapeutic Effects of Microbubbles Added to Combined High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound and Chemotherapy in a Pancreatic Cancer Xenograft Model.
abstract: To investigate whether high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) combined with microbubbles enhances the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy.
  
  
  
  A pancreatic cancer xenograft model was established using BALB/c nude mice and luciferase-expressing human pancreatic cancer cells. Mice were randomly assigned to five groups according to treatment: control (n = 10), gemcitabine alone (GEM; n = 12), HIFU with microbubbles (HIFU + MB, n = 11), combined HIFU and gemcitabine (HIGEM; n = 12), and HIGEM + MB (n = 13). After three weekly treatments, apoptosis rates were evaluated using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay in two mice per group. Tumor volume and bioluminescence were monitored using high-resolution 3D ultrasound imaging and in vivo bioluminescence imaging for eight weeks in the remaining mice.
  
  
  
  The HIGEM + MB group showed significantly higher apoptosis rates than the other groups (p < 0.05) and exhibited the slowest tumor growth. From week 5, the tumor-volume-ratio relative to the baseline tumor volume was significantly lower in the HIGEM + MB group than in the control, GEM, and HIFU + MB groups (p < 0.05). Despite visible distinction, the HIGEM and HIGEM + MB groups showed no significant differences.
  
  
  
  High-intensity focused ultrasound combined with microbubbles enhances the therapeutic effects of gemcitabine chemotherapy in a pancreatic cancer xenograft model.
authors: Department of Radiology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul 05030, Korea.
authors: Mi Hye
authors: MH
authors: Yu
authors: Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea.
authors: Jae Young
authors: JY
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Pre-Dentistry, Gangneung-Wonju National University College of Dentistry, Gangneung 25457, Korea.
authors: Hae Ri
authors: HR
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea.
authors: Bo Ram
authors: BR
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea.
authors: Eun-Joo
authors: EJ
authors: Park
authors: Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea.
authors: Hoe Suk
authors: HS
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea.
authors: Joon Koo
authors: JK
authors: Han
authors: Department of Radiology, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul 06973, Korea.
authors: Byung Ihn
authors: BI
authors: Choi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D045423:Microbubbles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D047368:Tumor Burden; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine
keywords: Animal study; Gemcitabine; High-intensity focused ultrasound; Microbubbles; Pancreatic cancer; Sonoporation