Sq. Shan et al., EFFECTS OF DIETHYLAMINE NITRIC-OXIDE ON BLOOD PERFUSION AND OXYGENATION IN THE R3230AC MAMMARY-CARCINOMA, British Journal of Cancer, 76(4), 1997, pp. 429-437
The effects of intravenous diethylamine/nitric oxide (DEA/NO), a short
-acting nitric oxide (NO) donor, on systemic haemodynamics, muscle and
tumour blood flow (MBF and TBF) and tumour oxygenation were examined
in rats bearing subcutaneous R3230Ac carcinoma in the leg. The effects
of DEA/NO on the diameters of tumour-feeding and normal arterioles we
re evaluated in window chambers with and without implanted tumours. DE
A\NO reduced mean arterial pressure (MAP) when given at doses greater
than or equal to 100 nmol kg(-1), with maximal suppression at 0.5-1 mi
n followed by return to baseline within 20 min. DEA/NO did not affect
MBF except at the highest doses (500 and 1000 nmol kg(-1)). In contras
t, DEA/NO reduced TBF and constricted tumour arterioles at doses great
er than or equal to 100 nmol kg(-1). Tumour arteriolar vasomotion occu
rred in more than half the animals during hypotension and with a signi
ficantly higher frequency than in normal granulating tissue at a dose
of 500 nmol kg(-1), Normal arterioles rapidly and significantly vasodi
lated for about 3 min and then returned to baseline, The reductions in
TBF and MAP were accompanied by synchronous reduction in tumour pO(2)
. Our findings suggest that DEA/NO decreases TBF in two ways. In the w
indow chamber model, vascular steal occurs as normal arterioles adjace
nt to tumour dilate more than tumour arterioles during the initial per
iod of hypotension. In leg tumours, the predominant mechanism is attri
butable to reduced perfusion pressure induced by lowered MAP, which de
creases flow to the tumour, probably because of relatively higher flow
resistance. The vasoconstriction and vasomotion in tumour arterioles
during DEA/NO-induced hypotension may reflect differences in regulator
y metabolism of NO between neoplastic and normal arterioles. Thus, int
ravenous injection of a short-acting NO donor, DEA/NO, decreases MAP a
nd heart rate, leading to subsequent decreases in tumour blood flow an
d oxygenation.