Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Liquid calcium alginate gel is a relatively new embolic material, it has good biocompatibility and can be piped through micro-catheter with fewer heterotopic embolization, results are satisfactory in animal experiments of arteriovenous malformations and aneurysm.
OBJECTIVE: To research a safer and more effective agent for liver tumor embolism, we innovatively use calcium alginate gel transcatheter arterial embolization for VX2 rabbit liver tumor.
METHODS: VX2 rabbit liver tumor models were produced using modified culture method via laparotomic route. Healthy rabbits were randomly divided into control group and experimental group. Punctuation hepatic arteriography was performed with fine needle under the euthyphoria, control group was applied hepatic arteriography only, experimental group was embolized with calcium alginate gel. Before the embolization and 7 days after the embolization, rabbit livers were performed with CT contrast enhanced scan, to measure the volume of tumors by multiplanar reconstruction. 7 days after embolization treatment, the liver tumors and the liver tissue of tumor areas were removed and undertook histopathologic examination, to evaluate the effect of calcium alginate gel embolization on tumors and normal liver tissue.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The blood of tumor was cut off after the injection of calcium alginate gel. The tumor growth rate of rabbit liver was significantly lower in the experimental group than control group (P < 0.05). In the control group, the tumors were predominantly mild necrosis; in the experimental group, the tumor was mainly severe necrosis with multiple focal necrosis. There were significant statistically differences between two groups (P < 0.01). After toluidine blue stain, we can see arteria hepatica and inter-lobe arteria, the arteriole of entering liver were obstructed completely, and the sinus hepaticus were filled with calcium alginate gel. Calcium alginate gel can form extensive embolism from liver tumor blood vascular portal to the sinus hepaticus, thoroughly stopping the blood and inhibiting the tumor growth.