Abstract
Hepatic metastases are common in patients with cancer of the hepatobiliary pancreatic region, and also obstructive jaundice commonly developes in such patients. Obstructive jaundice reduces the reticuloendothelial function of the liver which may be concerned with the development of hepatic metastases. Therefore, we studied the implantation and growth of metastases in rats' livers with obstructive jaundice, using a model in which rat ascites hepatoma AH 130 cells were transplanted into the portal vein which consistently induces hepatic metastases.
Thirty nine male Donryu rats were assigned to a test group and a control group. The test group's bile ducts were ligated for 7 days before tumor implantation and the control group underwent sham operations. The serum bilirubin level of the test group was 10.1±2.1mg/dl. The number of hepatic metastatic lesions at 11 days after tumor implantation and the control group underwent sham operations. The serum amounted to 59.2±30,0(SD) in the test group and 9.0±13.3 in the control group. These data showed significant differences between the two groups. The values of W3/13HLK+, W3/25HLK+ and OX8-HL+in peripheral blood T cell subsets and values of prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibinogen and fibrin degradation product (FDP) in peripheral blood before tumor implantation showed no significant differences, except for the APTT between the two groups.
Obstructive jaundice increased the incidence of liver metastases development in the rats given injections of tumor cells, but the mechanism of this phenomenon is still unclear. We think that in patients with obstructive jaundice, treatment for liver metastases could be more important and biliary drainage should be requested in the early stages of obstructive jaundice.
