Artikel
Growth of intrahepatic colorectal tumors after liver resections in mice
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Veröffentlicht: | 21. März 2014 |
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Gliederung
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Introduction: The high incidence of tumor recurrence after resection of liver metastases remains an unsolved problem. It is well known that about two thirds of patients with resection of liver metastases suffer from relapse. Half of these relapses occur within the liver. In colorectal carcinomas (CRC) 30-50 % of the patients develop recurrent tumors after a complete resection of liver metastases. If the tendency to relapse and the intrahepatic tumor growth are influenced by hepatic proliferation mediators after liver resection remains unclear.
Material and methods: In athymic nude-foxn1nu/nu mice MC38 tumor cells were either injected subcutaneously (SC) or intrahepatically (IH). Subsequently, either a single laparotomy (LAP SC, LAP-IH) or a 1/3 liver resection (LR1/3-SC, LR1/3-IH) or a 2/3 liver resection (LR2/3-SC, LR2/3-IH) was performed. 10 animals were examined in each group. After 14 days, the animals were euthanized. Tumor size , tumor proliferation and liver regeneration (liver hypertrophy-index) were quantified.
Results: After 14 days, almost complete regeneration of the remaining liver following 1/3 or 2/3 liver resections (liver hypertrophy-index; LR1/3-SC, LR1/3-IH: 1,06; LR2/3-SC, LR2/3-IH: 0,8) was observed. After single laparotomy the average weight of intrahepatic tumors was 330 mg (range: 10- 1534 mg). The mean tumor weight of intrahepatic tumors was 660 mg (range: 76-1873 mg) after 1/3 LR. vs 960 mg (range: 189 - 3030 mg) after 2/3 LR (p<0.05). After 1/3 LR, tumor size was 166 mm2 (range: 51- 399 mm2) vs. 199 mm2 (range: 71- 406 mm2) after 2/3 LR (p<0.05), and 113 mm2 (range: 15- 290 mm2 ) after laparotomy alone. The subcutaneous tumors, showed no differences in tumor size and volume after LR or SC.
Conclusion: Minor and major hepatic resections lead to an activation of tumor growth within the remaining liver. There is no systemic effect on extrahepatic tumors. The influence of hepatic regeneration mechanisms on intrahepatic tumor progress requires further molecular analyzes.