Comparison of embolic effect between water‐in‐oil emulsion and microspheres in transarterial embolization for rat hepatocellular carcinoma model

Abstract

To compare two different embolic materials, water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion followed by gelatin particles and microspheres in transarterial embolization (TAE), using a rat hepatocellular carcinoma model. Twenty rats bearing N1S1 cells were divided into the W/O emulsion group and Microsphere group. Water-in-oil emulsion was created by a glass membrane emulsification device. The tumor vascularity was measured by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography 24h before and 10min and 48h after TAE. Tumor necrosis, hepatic infarction ratio surrounding the tumor, and locations of the embolic materials 48h after TAE were assessed. The changes of serum liver enzymes were also evaluated. Statistical significance was determined by using either the Mann-Whitney U-test or Fisher's exact test. The tumor vascularity 48h after TAE was significantly higher in the Microsphere group (20.1 vs. 3.76%, P = 0.016). The overflow of Lipiodol into the portal veins surrounding the tumor was seen, whereas microspheres were seen only in the artery. The percentage of necrotic area and complete response ratio in the W/O emulsion group was significantly higher (99.9 vs. 87.6%, P = 0.029 and 87.5 vs. 28.6%, P = 0.041, respectively). Serum aspartate aminotransferase and serum alanine aminotransferase levels 48h after TAE were significantly higher in the W/O emulsion group (P < 0.01). The embolization using W/O emulsion followed by gelatin particles showed stronger antitumor effects with the occlusion of both the tumor feeding artery and the portal vein compared with microspheres, which occluded only the arteries.