Liver Cancer
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 28, 2005; 11(28): 4317-4320
Published online Jul 28, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i28.4317
Growth inhibition of high-intensity focused ultrasound on hepatic cancer in vivo
Xiu-Jie Wang, Shu-Lan Yuan, Yan-Rong Lu, Jie Zhang, Bo-Tao Liu, Wen-Fu Zeng, Yue-Ming He, Yu-Rui Fu
Xiu-Jie Wang, Shu-Lan Yuan, Yan-Rong Lu, Jie Zhang, Division of Experimental Oncology, Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Human Diseases of Ministry of Education, PR China; West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Bo-Tao Liu, Wen-Fu Zeng, Yue-Ming He, Yu-Rui Fu, Mianyang Electronic Equipment Factory, Mianyang 621000, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the Grant from National Economic Trade Committee, No. 2000-312-2
Correspondence to: Xiu-Jie Wang, Division of Experimental Oncology, Key Laboratory ofBiotherapy of Human Diseases of Ministry of Education, PR China; West China Hospital,Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. xiujiewang@sina.com
Telephone: +86-28-5423039 Fax: +86-28-85171476
Received: September 25, 2004
Revised: October 23, 2004
Accepted: October 26, 2004
Published online: July 28, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the damaging effect of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) on cancer cells and the inhibitory effect on tumor growth.

METHODS: Murine H22 hepatic cancer cells were treated with HIFU at the same intensity for different lengths of time and at different intensities for the same length of time in vitro, the dead cancer cells were determined by trypan blue staining. Two groups of cancer cells treated with HIFU at the lowest and highest intensity were inoculated into mice. Tumor masses were removed and weighed after 2 wk, tumor growth in each group was confirmed pathologically.

RESULTS: The death rate of cancer cells treated with HIFU at 1 000 W/cm2 for 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12s was 3.11±1.21%, 13.37±2.56%, 38.84±3.68%, 47.22±5.76%, 87.55±7.32%, and 94.33±8.11%, respectively. A positive relationship between the death rates of cancer cells and the length of HIFU treatment time was found (r = 0.96, P<0.01). The death rate of cancer cells treated with HIFU at the intensity of 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1 000 W/cm2 for 8s was 26.313±.26%, 31.00±3.87%, 41.97±5.86%, 72.23±8.12%, 94.90±8.67%, and 99.30±9.18%, respectively. A positive relationship between the death rates of cancer cells and the intensities of HIFU treatment was confirmed (r = 0.98, P<0.01). The cancer cells treated with HIFU at 1 000 W/cm2 for 8s were inoculated into mice ex vivo. The tumor inhibitory rate was 90.35% compared to the control (P<0.01). In the experimental group inoculated with the cancer cells treated with HIFU at 1 000 W/cm2 for 0.5s, the tumor inhibitory rate was 22.9% (P<0.01). By pathological examination, tumor growth was confirmed in 8 out of 14 mice (57.14%, 8/14) inoculated with the cancer cells treated with HIFU at 1 000 W/cm2 for 8s , which was significantly lower than that in the control (100%, 15/15, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: HIFU is effective on killing or damage of H22 hepatic cancer cells in vitro and on inhibiting tumor growth in miceex vivo.

Keywords: HIFU; Liver cancer; Growth inhibition