The efficacy of Paclitaxel on solid tumour analysed by ATP bioluminescence assay and VEGF expression: a translational research study.

BACKGROUND: Paclitaxel (Taxol), is known to induce mitotic arrest and apoptosis by inhibiting the depolymerisation of microtubules. Tumour growth and metastasis are affected by the metabolic rate and angiogenesis. We investigated the effect of Paclitaxel on tumour metabolism and markers of angiogenesis, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tissue samples of 39 patients diagnosed with invasive carcinoma were obtained. The solid tumours were cultured with Paclitaxel at a concentration of 4.27 ug/ml for 24 h. The metabolic rate of the samples was measured by ATP Bioluminescence assay and the levels of VEGF in culture medium were measured by ELISA. RESULT: The mean ATP concentration of control and test groups were 7.169 and 5.004 rlu/ml, respectively, suggesting that the metabolic rate was inhibited by Paclitaxel. The mean VEGF levels in the control and test groups were 5.335 and 4.567 pg/ml, respectively. All data analysed were statistically significant (P < 0.005). The finding of the study showed that Paclitaxel could inhibit metabolic rate in solid tumour. It could also downregulate VEGF. CONCLUSION: Our result suggested that Paclitaxel is an effective cytotoxic possibly with anti-angiogenic effects.

The value of bone marrow aspirates culture for the detection of bone marrow micrometastasis in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Detection of micrometastasis is an important problem of clinical significance for a better understanding and control of tumor progression, which will improve patients' survival time. Tumor cells in bone marrow (BM) aspirates are indicative of the general disseminative metastasis in patients with early breast cancer and characterization of breast cancers by various tumor markers which are appropriate for the identification of high risk groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bone marrow aspirates were obtained from 44 breast cancer patients at the time of surgery. To identify micrometastases in bone marrow, an immunocytochemical assay for epithelial cytokeratin (CK) was performed at the second passage after selective culture. Cytokeratin-positive bone marrow disseminated cancer cells were observed in more than 90% of the patients. This high incidence needs further investigation with bigger sample size to confirm. However, these results indicate that this technique can be used as an early diagnostic technique of bone marrow micrometastases in the patient with breast cancer thereby promoting the development of therapeutic strategy. High incidences need further investigation with bigger samples to confirm.