Experimental Study Of Different Interventional Therapeutic Methods For Treating Liver Cancer In Rats

Objective To establish Walker 256 liver cancer model in rats, which is very similar with the blood supply and the growth of human primary liver cancer, and discuss the role of embolic agents, lipiodol and chemotherapeutic agents in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.Methods Subcapsular implantation of the Walker 256 in the liver was carried out in 35 male SD rats. Tumor volume (V₁) was measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on day 9 after implantation. All rats were randomly divided into experiment groups and control group by the agents which injectd via gastroduodenal artery to hepatic artery. experiment groups: group A, Mitomycin (0.1mg) + Lipiodol (0.1ml) + Hepatic artery ligation (HAL, instead of embolization, n=7); group B, Mitomycin (0.1mg) + Lipiodol (0.1ml) (n=7); group C, Mitomycin (0.1mg) + Hepatic artery ligation (n=7); group D, Lipiodol (0.1ml) + Hepatic artery ligation (n=7). control group: group E, 0.9% NaCl (0.1 ml) (n=7). Tumor volume (V₂) was assessed by MRI (on day 9 after treatment) and the growth ratio of tumor (V₂/V₁) was calculated.Results The mean tumor volume before and after treatment was 0.017±0.008 cm³, 0.038±0.017 cm³; 0.019±0.011 cm³, 0.152±0.069 cm³; 0.022±0.010 cm³, 0.302±0.134 cm³; 0.019±0.008 cm³, 0.382±0.049 cm³; 0.021±0.006cm³, 0.715±0.307cm³ in group A, B, C, D and E, respectively. The tumor growth ratio (V₂/V₁) was 2.50±1.08, 8.73±2.38, 14.66±4.96, 21.26±5.19, 33.10±8.17 in group A, B, C, D and group E. It was showed that the tumor growth ratio was significant lower in the experiment groups than that in the control group (p<0.05). There were significant differences of the tumor growth ratio among group A, group B, group C and group D(p<0.05).Conclusion Combined use of mitomycin, lipiodol and hepatic artery ligation could get satisfied results for the treatment of liver cancer, which could have significant advantage in contrast with the use of mitomycin and lipiodol, or mitomycin and hepatic artery ligation, or lipiodol and hepatic artery ligation. Combined use of mitomycin, lipiodol and hepatic artery ligation have potential clinical application.