Effects of doxorubicin on cancer cells after two‐thirds hepatectomy in rats

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Abstract
A rat model of liver metastases generated by intraportal injection of syngeneic tumor cells after two‐thirds hepatectomy was used to determine the optimal regional chemotherapeutic modality for early hepatic metastases. WKA rats had viable tumor cells injected directly into the portal vein after two‐thirds hepatectomy. Ten rats were used as a control; the remaining groups were given doxorubicin (4/3 mg/kg) injected directly into the hepatic artery at 24 hr, 72 hr, and 7 days (after liver regeneration) postoperatively. The mean survival period in each group was 21.0, 20.0, 20.5, and 20.7 days, respectively, compared with those treated with doxorubicin (4 mg/kg) injection at 24 hr, 72 hr, and 7 days postoperatively, with a mean survival period in each group of 20.0, 21.6, and 25.6 days, respectively. When a comparison was made with regard to the doses of doxorubicin administered, statistically significant differences in survival rates were recognized between the rats that had doxorubicin (4 mg/kg) injection 7 days postoperatively and the others (P < 0.01). Based on these findings, we believe that appropriate adjuvant chemotherapy should be given after the liver regeneration phase.