Redistribution of blood flow in experimental hepatic tumours with noradrenaline and propranolol.

Noradrenaline induced changes in the distribution of blood flow in implanted tumour and normal liver tissue was measured using blood flow tracer microspheres. The ratio of embolised microspheres in tumour compared to normal tissue was determined before and after the intravenous infusion of noradrenaline, propranolol and a combination of the two drugs. The ratio was significantly decreased by noradrenaline alone but significantly increased when propranolol was added to the infusate. Propranolol had no effect on the ratio. The drug combination increased the tumour to normal ratio by approximately 69% and also doubled the proportion of microspheres entering the internal tumour circulation. This represents an enhanced relative blood supply to tumour and would provide a means of preferential carriage of blood borne cytotoxic agents to tumour tissue rather than normal tissue.