OXYGENATION OF HUMAN TUMOR XENOGRAFTS IN NUDE-MICE BY A PERFLUOROCHEMICAL, EMULSION AND CARBOGEN BREATHING

Human solid tumors (prostate carcinomas PC-3 and DU-145, breast carcin oma MX-1, cervical carcinoma ME-180, small cell lung carcinoma SW2, an d glioblastoma T98G) were grown as xenografts in nude mice. Using the Eppendorf pO(2) histograph microelectrode system, the oxygen profiles of the turners were determined while the animals breathed air or carbo gen (95% O-2/5% CO2), and after administration of the perfluorochemica l emulsion Oxygent-CA (8 ml/kg) under air breathing and carbogen breat hing conditions. Under normal air breathing with or without Oxygent-CA administration the mean Oxygen tensions were between 4.9 and 9.3 mmHg and each tumor had severely hypoxic regions where the pO(2) was less than 5 mmHg. The severely hypoxic regions comprised 41-71% of the oxyg en tension measurements under normal air breathing conditions. Carboge n breathing alone increased the mean oxygen tensions to 10.9-23.9 mmHg . Administration of Oxygent-CA and carbogen breathing increased the me an oxygen tensions over the levels of carbogen breathing alone to vary ing degrees. The highest mean oxygen tensions were 40.8 mmHg in the T9 8G glioblastoma and 24.5 mmHg in the ME-180 cervical carcinoma. Invest igation of the use of Oxygent-CA/carbogen to increase the oxygenation of clinical tumors is warranted.