Abstract (eng)
Plasma and liver samples of rats have been analysed after the treatment with the chemotherapeutic agent irinotecan in four different ways. The samples have been investigated in order to identify the distribution of the compound CPT-11 and its metabolite SN-38 in liver tissue and plasma.
The samples have been diluted in a defined ratio, the proteins have been precipitated and the liver tissue samples have been homogenized before being centrifuged. The clear supernatant was then analysed by HPLC. Previously, a straight calibration line of CPT-11 and SN-38 in liver tissue and plasma was generated with various concentrations, to ensure the correct calculation of the results from the HPLC analysis. Additionally, the enzyme activity of carboxylesterase has been determined. The midpoints and standard deviations of the R-values to measure the enzyme activity, as well as the plasma and tissue concentrations of CPT-11 and SN-38 from the HPLC analysis have been calculated. The statistical methods used for the assessment of the samples have been t-test and variance analysis. Altogether, a higher affinity of CPT-11 and SN-38 to liver tissue compared to plasma is shown. Hepatoarterial application and hepatoarterial application with EmboCept S® led to higher concentrations of CPT-11 in comparison to systemic application. This is not the case for SN-38, which is probably due to a saturation of carboxylesterase, the enzyme converting CPT-11 to SN-38.
The interpretation of TANDEM® samples was more difficult. The concentrations of CPT-11 and SN-38 in liver tissue and plasma after hepatoarterial application with TANDEM® are very low. One possible explanation is that irinotecan is not able to dissolve from the plastic microspheres within the first 4 hours after the application.
In conclusion, the analyses of all the samples suggest an advantage of hepatoarterial application regarding to CPT-11 and SN-38 concentrations in the liver tissue. Hepatoarterial chemoembolisation doesn’t show an additional advantage, compared to simple hepatoarterial application. A further assessment of chemoembolisation with TANDEM® microspheres, as well as the affinity of the compounds to tumor tissue after hepatoarterial application would be interesting.