Effects of induced hypertension on blood flow and capillary permeability in rats with experimental brain tumors

To study the possibility of enhancing the delivery of antineoplastic agents to tumor tissue, we conducted an experimental study using induced hypertension with angiotensin II in rats with experimental brain tumors. Drug delivery was evaluated by measuring local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) and regional cerebral capillary permeability with quantitative autoradiography. There was no significant difference of LCBF in the central region of tumor tissue between the control group and the induced hypertension group. LCBF in the peripheral region of tumor tissue in the induced hypertension group was significantly higher than that in the control group. On the other hand, despite induced hypertension, no significant changes in the regional cerebral capillary permeability were observed between the groups. These results indicate that delivery of the lipid-soluble antineoplastic agents, which depend upon cerebral blood flow, can be enhanced by induced hypertension.