QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: dmd.106.014639v1 36/4/676    most recent Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by van Putte, B. P. Articles by Folkerts, G. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by van Putte, B. P. Articles by Folkerts, G.

Pharmacokinetics of Gemcitabine when Delivered by Selective Pulmonary Artery Perfusion for the Treatment of Lung Cancer

Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery (B.P.v.P., W.-J.v.B.) and Pulmonology (M.G., F.S.), Sint Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands; Department of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands (G.F.); Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium (J.M.H.H., P.E.Y.v.S.); Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Catholic University Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (G.G., G.D.B.); and Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands (G.P.)

Lung cancer represents a major health problem. Cytostatic and radiotherapeutic treatment is limited because of dose-limiting systemic toxicity and surgery as a result of its invasive nature. Therefore, we developed a catheterization model of selective pulmonary artery perfusion (SPAP) combining the properties of isolated lung perfusion and i.v. treatment to achieve higher local drug levels and equivalent systemic exposure. Sixteen pigs underwent SPAP using a clinically applied dose of gemcitabine (1 g/m²). They furthermore underwent thoracotomy for tissue sampling. Three groups were treated with SPAP for 2 min with normal pulmonary blood flow, 50 and 90% flow reduction. Another group had SPAP for 10 min with normal blood flow. All the SPAP groups underwent catheterization of the left pulmonary artery. An additional group (n = 4) was infused i.v. for 30 min using the same dose. Concentrations were analyzed with analysis of variance. Pulmonary peak concentrations (p = 0.01) and areas under the curve (AUC) (p = 0.001) of SPAP for 2 and 10 min were significantly higher compared with i.v., whereas SPAP for 10 min resulted in the highest AUC (p = 0.045) compared with SPAP for 2 min. Flow reduction during SPAP resulted in inhomogeneous distribution. Liver levels, AUC (serum), and wet-to-dry ratios of all the SPAP groups were not significantly different compared with i.v. SPAP resulted in higher lung concentrations, whereas systemic exposure was comparable with i.v. Therefore, we advocate SPAP as a new method to be tested clinically to achieve down-staging of the tumor and lymph node status in lung cancer.