Original article Transcatheter arterial embolization followed by octreotide and celecoxib synergistically prolongs survival of rabbits with hepatic VX2 allografts Huan TONG,* Xiao LI,* Chun Le ZHANG,* Jin Hang GAO, † Shi Lei WEN, † Zhi Yin HUANG, ‡ Fu Qiang WEN, ‡ Ping FU ‡ & Cheng Wei TANG* †‡ *Department of Gastroenterology, † Division of Peptides Related with Human Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, ‡ International Epithelia Biology Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China OBJECTIVE: To validate the efficacy of an innovative multimodality therapy with transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) plus octreotide and celecoxib in reducing neoangiogenesis and prolonging the survival of rabbits with hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: Rabbits with hepatic VX2 allografts were divided into four groups: control group, TAE group, octreotide + celecoxib (O + C) group and the multimodality therapy (TAE + O + C) group. Survival of the rabbits was analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method and the expression of CD31 in tumor tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Rabbits in the TAE + O + C group lived nearly 20 days longer than those in the control group. The survival rate of the TAE + O + C group was 50% at day 80 and was the highest among the four groups (P < 0.05). No VX2 allograft-bearing rabbits in the control group lived longer than 60 days. Compared with the control group, the survival time of the other two intervention groups were not prolonged signifi- cantly (P > 0.05). The CD31 expression induced by TAE was reduced significantly in TAE + O + C group (P < 0.05). Less metastasis was detected in TAE + O + C group. CONCLUSION: TAE followed by the long-term administration of octreotide and celecoxib can syner- gistically prolong the survival of rabbits with hepatic VX2 allografts by inhibiting potential neoangiogen- esis, tumor growth and metastasis. KEY WORDS: angiogenesis, celecoxib, hepatocellular carcinoma, octreotide, transcatheter arterial embolization. INTRODUCTION Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the most important diseases for health care systems due to its high morbidity, mortality and increasing incidence worldwide. 1 As curative therapies including percutane- ous ablation, resection and liver transplantation are indicated for only 30% of patients with HCC, 2 most of them have to receive local regional therapies or pallia- tive care. Because HCC is a kind of vascular solid Correspondence to: Cheng Wei TANG, Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, China. Email: shcqcdmed@163.com; som230tang@163.com Huan TONG and Xiao LI contributed equally to this study. Conflict of interest: None. © 2012 The Authors Journal of Digestive Diseases © 2012 Chinese Medical Association Shanghai Branch, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd. Journal of Digestive Diseases 2013; 14; 29–37 doi: 10.1111/1751-2980.12001 29