EMP-induced BBB-disruption enhances drug delivery to glioma and increases treatment efficacy in rats.

ABSTRACT

Chemotherapy on gliomas is not satisfactorily efficient because the presence of blood-brain barriers (BBB) leads to inadequate exposure of tumor cells to administered drugs. In order to facilitate chemotherapeutics to penetrate BBB and increase the treatment efficacy of gliomas, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) was applied and the 1-(2-Chlorethyl)-cyclohexyl-nitrosourea (CCNU) lomustine concentration in tumor tissue, tumor size, tumor apoptosis, and side effects were measured in glioma-bearing rat model. The results showed that EMP exposure could enhance the delivery of CCNU to tumor tissue, facilitate tumor apoptosis, and inhibit tumor growth without obvious side effects. The data indicated that EMP-induced BBB disruption could enhance delivery of CCNU to glioblastoma multiforme and increase treatment efficacy in glioma-bearing rats. Bioelectromagnetics. 3960-67, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.