Hyperbaric oxygenation for experimental bladder tumor. I. Tissue oxygen tension of the rabbit bladder during...

Although considerable advances have been made in the application of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) on tumor treatment in the recent past, many difficulties persist due to conflicting results and the understanding of its mechanism. We tested whether HBO treatment in clinical use could really influence the tissue concentration of oxygen in bladder or circulatory condition in animals. Eleven rabbits were treated with 1-3 atmospheric absolute pressures under an environment of air saturating 30-35% of oxygen for 90 min. Ten control animals were placed in the same chamber without providing HBO treatment. The tissue oxygen pressure in trigone or dome of the in HBO-treated group was significantly higher than that of the control group. A similar tendency was also noted in the arterial oxygen concentration to a greater extent, while regional blood flow in the bladder, mean arterial blood pressure and plasma volume were not significantly changed following HBO treatment. The use of HBO appears to offer some possibilities for the treatment of bladder tumor in the future.