Effect of hydralazine on blood flow, oxygenation, and interstitial fluid pressure in subcutaneous tumors.

Many experimental and clinical solid tumors are known to exhibit poor oxygenation and high interstitial fluid pressure, 5 (IFP) in comparison to normal surrounding tissues. Oxygenation and IF? in addition to abnormal blood flow influence the response of tumors to various therapies and are also important for development and progression of malignant growth. Hydralazine (HYZ) is an arteriolar vasodilating drug which is used for treatment of hypertension in humans. HYZ can decrease both tumor blood flowIO and tumor IF?9. II These two changes may have opposite effects on drug delivery and oxygenation in tumors. In our study we evaluated the effect of HYZ on blood flow, oxygenation, and IFP in a murine tumor model. Oxygenation was measured by a relatively new method which has recently become available, the OxyLite system. ,13