ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the feasibility of regional lymph nodes targetting with enrichment of radioactive 99mTc-polyphase liposome of 5-fluorouracil (99mTc-FL, FL).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>18 rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups, 6 rabbits per group. All rabbits were injected hypodermally with of 99mTc-FL in the right and left big toe webs, 18.5 MBq each side. The post-injection interval was 3 h in group 1, 6 h in group 2, and 8 h in group 3. The radioactivity was examined in the resected local lymph nodes, non-draining lymph nodes, liver, spleen, kidney, heart, lung, intestines, and in blood and urine.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The radioactive isotope uptake percentage (%) was 2.32 +/- 0.75 in group 1, 5.37 +/- 1.73 in group 2, 8.61 +/- 1.89 in group 3. The radioactive isotope uptake percentage (%) per gram in local lymph nodes was significantly different between each two groups among the 3 groups (P < 0.05). The ratios of x of regional lymph nodes/non-draining lymph nodes, regional lymph nodes/blood, regional lymph nodes/urine, regional lymph nodes/liver, regional lymph nodes/spleen, regional lymph nodes/kidney, regional lymph nodes/heart, regional lymph nodes/lung, regional lymph nodes/intestine in group 1 were 232.00, 16.57, 23.20, 29.00, 19.33, 25.78, 46.40, 46.40 and 25.78, respectively. The ratios in group 2 were 89.50, 41.31, 18.52, 67.13, 41.31, 25.57, 134.25, 59.67 and 59.67, respectively. The ratios in group 3 were 86.10, 61.50, 16.56, 53.81, 57.40, 10.01, 107.63, 107.63 and 86.10, respectively. The differences of radioactive isotope uptake percentage were statistically significant (P < 0.01) between regional lymph nodes and other organs, i. e. non-draining lymph nodes, blood, urine, liver, spleen, kidney, heart, lung and intestine per gram in each group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The radioactive 99mTc-FL may slowly flow into regional lymphatic chains rather than directly enter blood circulation. So 99mTc-FL can be highly accumulated in the local lymph nodes. This regional lymph nodes targetting with enrichment of radioactive 99mTc-FL evidently indicates the feasibility of regional lymph system chemotherapy for pulmonary malignancies.</p>