Antitumor efficiency of contact radiotherapy in combination with a chlorin-based photosensitizer in experiment

Abstract

Authors have studied the antitumor efficacy of contact radiation therapy (CRT) in combination with a chlorin-based photosensitizer (PS) in an experiment on laboratory animals with transplanted tumors. The experimental study was performed in 50 white outbred rats weighing 250±50 g. Subcutaneously transplanted Pliss lymphosarcoma (PLS) and alveolar liver cancer RS1 (RS1) were used as tumor models. Chlorinbased PS photolon (RUE «Belmedpreparaty», Republic Belarus) was injected intravenously at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg. The radiation sessions were carried out 2.5–4 hours (depending on the tumor model) after the administration of the PS using the device «microSelectron HDR V3 Digital» («Nucletron», Netherlands) with a 192-Ir radiation source in single focal doses 5 and 10 Gy. All laboratory animals (for PLS and RS1) were subdivided into 5 groups of 5 animals each: intact control, CRT 5 Gy, CRT 10 Gy, PS + CRT 5 Gy, PS + CRT 10 Gy. For the PLS tumor model – on the 14th day from the beginning of the experiment Vav. in groups were 26.31±5.81; 22.45±6.97; 18.99±4.86; 10.75±5.18 and 28.06±2.85 cm3, respectively (p˂0.05). The coefficients of tumor growth inhibition in the experimental groups were 14.67%, 27.82%, 59.14% and 6.65%, respectively. The frequency of complete tumor regressions 60 days after the start of the experiment was 0%, 20%, 20%, 60%, and 20%, respectively. On RS1 tumor model – on the 14th day from the beginning of the experiment Vav. in groups were 4.48±1.03; 0.80±0.21; 0.29±0.09; 0.19±0.07 and 0.32±0.08 cm3, respectively (p=0.009). The coefficients of tumor growth inhibition in the experimental groups were 82.14%, 93.53%, 95.76% and 92.86%, respectively. The frequency of complete tumor regressions 60 days after the start of the experiment was 0%, 0%, 20%, 0%, and 0%, respectively. Systemic administration of chlorin-based PS before the CRT session increases the antitumor efficacy of radiation therapy in animals with transplantable tumors of different histological structure and growth patterns. The data obtained indicate that further studies of the radiosensitizing properties of PS are promising.