Avaliação dos efeitos da eletroquimioterapia sobre o desenvolvimento do tumor sólido de Ehrlich em camundongos Swiss

Abstract

Electrochemotherapy is a local anticancer treatment in which non-permeant chemotherapeutic drugs are associated with electric pulses of well-established parameters. The electric pulses cause pores to open on the plasma membrane and facilitate drug transport, enhancing cytotoxicity and reducing side effects. Assessment of electrochemotherapy effects on Ehrlich solid tumor development in this work aims to evaluate in vivo usage of the electroporator device developed by Electric Engineering Department of Escola de Engenharia of UFMG, so it can be used on future procedures on Hospital Veterinário of Escola de Veterinária of UFMG. Therefore, 40 Swiss mice were inoculated with Ehrlich tumor cells, and developed the tumor in solid form. After 21 days, mice were subjected to specific treatment protocols and 17 days later they were euthanized and the tumors collected for histopathology analysis. Electrochemotherapy induced discrete weight loss and an inflammatory response in the tumor, which was not seen on the other treatment groups. Bleomycin alone induced necrosis. Both groups showed lower cellular proliferation rates. From this study, it was concluded that the animals tolerated well electrochemotherapy treatment under anesthesia and the electroporator device developed by Escola de Engenharia of UFMG was adequate when used in an electrochemotherapy protocol.