Effect of Combined Regional Hyperthermia with Injection of Absolute Ethanol into Human Oral Carcinoma Transplanted in Nude Mice

Abstract

We investigated the effect of combined regional hyperthermia with injection of absolute ethanol into human oral carcinoma (KB cells) transplanted subcutaneously in the leg of BALB/cA nude mice. Upon obtaining tumors of about 8mm diameter, the following treatments were performed. Hyperthermia was carried out in a water bath at 41, 43 and 45℃ for 30 minutes. Absolute ethanol was injected into the solid tumors at 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 ml/g of tumor weight. Single or combined treatments were performed on days 0, 3 and 6, and tumor size was measured. The relative mean tumor weight (RW) compared with day 0 was calculated. The relationship of combined treatment and individual anti-tumor effects were compared by the ratio of the relative mean tumor weights for the treatment and control groups. The potentiation ratio of the effect of absolute ethanol with hyperthermia was calculated for each dose. Solid tumors were observed histopathologically using Hematoxylin-Eosin stained sections on days 10 and 20.
      We found that the anti-tumor effect with injection of absolute ethanol was necrotic. Combined regional hyperthermia with injection of absolute ethanol seemed to have a potential inhibitory necrotic effect on the growth of the KB cells. The anti-tumor effect of hyperthermia with injection of 0.3 ml/g absolute ethanol at 43℃ was nearly 5.8 fold that at 41℃.
      We concluded that combined regional hyperthermia with injection of absolute ethanol is an effective treatment.