To evaluate the use of
angiotensin-II (A-II) as a means of improving results with
intra-arterial infusions of hepatic
tumors, 32 New Zealand white rabbits underwent perfusion of VX-2 hepatic implants.
Tritium-labeled
fluorodeoxyuridine [( 3H]
FUDR) was administered via peripheral ear vein in 9 control rabbits (iv), via the hepatic artery in 12 rabbits (HA), and following a constant infusion of A-II in the remaining 11 rabbits (HA/A-II). Biopsies of
tumor and normal hepatic parenchyma were taken and tissue levels of
FUDR measured. Hepatic artery infusions, both with and without A-II, resulted in a significantly greater
tumor uptake of
FUDR than the iv infusions (P less than 0.001). More importantly, the
tumor/liver ratio of
FUDR uptake was significantly greater in the HA/A-II group (3.40) than that in the HA without A-II (0.98) group (P less than 0.001). This difference is due to the decreased
FUDR uptake by normal hepatic parenchyma in rabbits undergoing A-II infusion;
tumor drug uptake is similar for both groups. We conclude that the addition of
angiotensin II to hepatic artery infusional
chemotherapy significantly improves the
tumor/liver ratio of
drug uptake in this experimental model of hepatic
metastases.