Triolein emulsion infusion into the hepatic artery increases vascular permeability to doxorubicin in rabbit liver.

BACKGROUND The infusion of triolein emulsion (TE) induced increased vascular permeability and a negligible and temporary decrease in liver function without specific histopathological damage. AIM To assess changes in doxorubicin concentration according to the percentage of TE infused via a hepatic artery to study the vascular permeability in the rabbit liver. METHODS Thirty-nine healthy rabbits were divided into five groups according to the concentration of emulsified triolein infused into the hepatic arteries: Group 0, saline infusion (control group, n = 5); group 1, 0.3% TE (n = 13); group 2, 0.6% TE (n = 6); group 3, 0.9% TE (n = 8); and group 4, 1.5% TE (n = 6). Doxorubicin (2.4 mg/kg) was infused immediately after TE injection via the hepatic arteries. After 2 h, the livers were harvested, and doxorubicin concentrations were calculated fluorometrically. The doxorubicin concentrations were compared between TE groups and the control group, and the optimal concentrations within the TE groups were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test. P 0.05). CONCLUSION TE infusion into the hepatic arteries significantly increased the doxorubicin concentration approximately twofold but was not different between the TE groups. These findings suggest that TE infusion might be a useful adjuvant treatment of liver cancers.