ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the changes in the serum level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in experimental Wistar rats with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) after hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) of bevacizumab treatment, and to discuss the efficacy of HAI of bevacizumab for hepatic alveolar echinococcosis. Methods Forty Wistar rats with successfully established HAE were randomly and equally divided into two groups with 20 rats in each group: the control group and the study group. Hepatic arterial infusion of saline was performed in the rats of the control group , while hepatic arterial infusion of bevacizumab was carried out in the rats of the study group. Before and 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after the treatment peripheral blood samples were collected from the tail vein, and the serum levels of VEGF, apartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were determined by the quantitative sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All the rats were sacrificed 28 days after the treatment. HAE samples were examined to evaluate the effect of bevacizumab on HAE lesions. Results Seven days after hepatic arterial infusion of bevacizumab, serum VEGF expression level in the study group became gradually decreased, and the difference was statistically significant when compared with the preoperative level or with that in the control group (P = 0.019). Fourteen days after the treatment, the serum VEGF expression level kept going down to its lowest point, and the difference in serum VEGF expression level was statistically significant when compared with the preoperative level (P 0.05). Conclusion In treating hepatic alveolar echinococcosis, hepatic arterial infusion of bevacizumab has certain inhibitory effect on angiogenesis. This therapy is safe and effective.