ABSTRACT
Objective To study the effect of intra-tumor injection of slow-release 5-FU on pancreatic carcinoma cells in nude mice,and on changes in serum tumor markers and cellular immunity of patients with pancreatic carcinoma.Methods (1) In vitro experiments, the releasing action and anti-tumor effect of slow-release 5-FU were studied. Measurement of the concentration of effused fluid,calculation of amount of drug released,and observation of the inhibitory effects of effused fluid on PC3 strains of pancreatic cancer cellswere perfomed.(2) Human pancreatic carcinoma strain PC-3 cells were cultured and inoculated into 60 nude mice,and were randomly divided into 5 groups according to various treatments received: NS injection as control group(A group), 5-FU (10 mg/kg)IV injection group(B group), stroma implant group(C group), intra-tumor injection of high dose slow-release 5-FU (4mg/kg) group(D group) and intra-tumor injection of low dose slow-release 5-FU (1mg/kg) group(E group). Tumor size were measured before and 14 days after treatment. On week 2, histological changes of the tumors were examined. The apoptotic index (AI) of the tumor cells was detected by terminal-deoxynucleotide transferase mediated d-UTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) and expression of bcl-2 and Bax by immunohistochemistry.(3) 69 cases of unresectable pancreatic carcinoma were divided into 3 groups randomly:intra-tumor injection of slow-release 5-FU treated group(treatment group), intra-venous injection of 5-FU group( chemotherapy group), and control group. The serum values of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/ CD8+, NK cells, CEA, CA50, CA19-9, CA125 and CA242 were measured in all patients 1 day before and 14 days after operation. Results (1) There was 0.85 mg 5-FU released in the 1st day and 0.45 mg 5-FU released in the 3rd day. The release remained constant at 0.25 mg and continued for about 14 days. (2) The tumor growth suppression rate on the 1st day by effusion fluid of slow-release 5-FU was 60.27% and on the 3rd day was 34.25%. Later, it remained at about 25.00%. The tumor growth rate was slower in D and E group than in other groups (P