Establishment of a large animal model for research on transbronchial arterial intervention for lung cancer

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate whether bronchial artery can supply a percutaneously inoculated canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) in a lung tumor model. METHODS: Fresh CTVT tissue blocks were percutaneously inoculated into unilateral or bilateral lungs of six immunosuppressed dogs at the mid zone of the middle or lower lobe. Tumor growth was monitored by computed tomography (CT). Ten weeks after inoculation, pulmonary arterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA), bronchial arterial DSA, transpulmonary arterial contrast-enhanced multislice CT, transbronchial arterial contrast-enhanced multislice CT (BA-MSCT), and transpulmonary arterial lipiodol multislice CT were performed. RESULTS: Tumor growth was seen in all 10 inoculated sites, with a maximum diameter of 2.734±0.138 cm at 10th week. Bronchial arterial blood supply was evident in 9 nodules on DSA, and was equivocal in one which was later demonstrated on BA-MSCT. No obvious pulmonary arterial blood supply was observed in any of the nodules. Lipiodol deposition was displayed in two of the small distant metastases, which indicated that pulmonary artery was involved in the supply of the metastases. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated bronchial arterial blood supply in this new lung cancer model. This model may be used in further research on transbronchial arterial intervention for lung cancer.