[Tissue levels of pirarubicin (THP) in dogs following intra-arterial infusion].

The blood and tissue levels of pirarubicin (THP) were studied in dogs by HPLC analysis. The THP (1.5 mg/kg) was infused from the bifurcation of internal iliac artery. We measured the concentration of THP after 1 or 2 hours of intra-arterial infusion (IA) and compared with the concentration of THP administered intravenously (IV). The plasma levels of THP following IA rapidly disappeared the same as for IV. The blood cell level of THP following both IA and IV was significantly higher than the plasma level. The bladder mucosa and muscle levels of THP following IA were about 8 times as high as that of IV. The bladder muscle level of THP 2 hours after IA was about twice as high as after 1 hour and the same as the bladder mucosa level of THP after both 1 and 2 hours. It is considered that THP by the present method may have the transition from the mucosa to the muscle in the bladder. In the other intrapelvic tissues (perivesical adipose tissue, pelvic lymph node and prostate), IA also had higher concentrations compared with IV. However, the extrapelvic tissues (heart, liver and kidney) levels of THP following IA were the same as those for IV. It was concluded that THP was a reasonable agent for IA chemotherapy for bladder cancer.