Histologic changes of porcine portal vein anastomosis after electrochemotherapy with bleomycin

• Published in: Bioelectrochemistry (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Vol. 154; p. 108509
• Main Authors: Stupan, Urban, Čemažar, Maja, Trotovšek, Blaž, Petrič, Miha, Tomažič, Aleš, Gašljević, Gorana, Ranković, Branislava, Seliškar, Alenka, Plavec, Tanja, Sredenšek, Jerneja, Plut, Jan, Štukelj, Marina, Lampreht Tratar, Urša, Jesenko, Tanja, Nemec Svete, Alenka, Serša, Gregor, Đokić, Mihajlo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-12-2023
• Subjects: Electrochemotherapy; Pancreatic cancer; Portal vein anastomosis; Electrochemotherapy; Pancreatic cancer; Portal vein anastomosis
• ISSN: 1567-5394; 1878-562X; 1878-562X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2023.108509

•Electroporation and electrochemotherapy with bleomycin caused endotheliitis.•They also caused vascular smooth muscle cell destruction in portal vein anastomosis.•Regeneration of endothelium and organization of fibrosis was seen after 28 days.•Histology of the treated veins were consistent with normal healing process.•Electrochemotherapy of portal vein anastomosis is safe and feasible.
Electrochemotherapy (ECT11Electrochemotherapy.) is used for treatment of unresectable abdominal malignancies. This study aims to show that ECT of porcine portal vein anastomosis is safe and feasible in order to extend the indications for margin attenuation after resection of locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma. No marked differences were found between the control group and ECT treated groups. Electroporation thus caused irreversible damage to the vascular smooth muscle cells in tunica media that could bedue to the narrow irreversible electroporation zone that may occur near the electrodes, or due to vasa vasorum thrombosis in the tunica externa. Based on the absence of vascular complications, and similar histological changes in lienal veinanastomosis, we can conclude that ECT of portal vein anastomosis is safe and feasible.