Perfluorochemicals (Fluosol-43) is characterized with its small size and high propensity for carrying
oxygen and
carbon dioxide, and also have the function to improve the cerebral microcirculation. These characteristic features of
Fluosol-43 may have a beneficial effect on
brain-tumor chemotherapy in terms of the oxygenation of hypoxic cells, and/or the improvement of the pharmacokinetics of anticancer drugs. This study was undertaken to identify the combined effect of perfluorochemicals (
Fluosol-43, 20 ml/kg) and chemotherapeutic agent (
BCNU, LD10 dose; 13.3 mg/kg) in a rat
brain-tumor model.
Brain-tumor model was made by the intracerebral implantation of C6 rat
glioma cells (1 X 10(5) cells/10 microliters).
At 10 days after implantation, control animals had a macrotumor weighing about 100 mg with large part of central
necrosis. The
tumor-bearing rats for 10 days after implantation were randomly divided into 4 groups; a control group, a
Fluosol-43 treatment group, a
BCNU treatment group, and a
Fluosol-43 plus
BCNU treatment group. Control animals had mean survival time of 19.94 +/- 2.41 (S.D.) days, and mean survival time of
Fluosol-43 treatment group was 19.47 +/- 1.36 days.
BCNU treatment alone prolonged the mean survival time to 28.36 +/- 7.94 days (p less than 0.001).
Fluosol-43 plus
BCNU treatment group showed 36.00 +/- 10.15 days, which was significantly greater than that of
BCNU treatment alone group (p less than 0.005). The long survivals lived over 50 days after implantation were 7 out of 27 rats in
Fluosol-43 plus
BCNU treatment group, in contrast to one out of 25 rats in
BCNU treatment alone group. Perfluorochemicals (Fluosol-43) may have the synergistic effect on
BCNU chemotherapy for
brain tumors. It was speculated for the above results that following the oxygenation of hypoxic cells by
Fluosol-43, hypoxic cells might be sensitized to
BCNU, which might be much delivered into hypoxic area. And further studies should be done for the evaluation of the mechanism of perfluorochemicals on
brain tumor experimentally before clinical application.