Background: In an animal model we found that total body fat (TBF) decreased with progression of tumors, but that it rebounded after cyclic plasma perfusion (CPP). In this study, we investigated changes in adipocyte apoptosis and serum lipolytic activity (LA) after CPP.
Materials and methods: TBF, LA, and adipocyte apoptotic index (AAI) in VX2 carcinoma-bearing rabbits were measured every ten days after implantation. CPP was performed every 5 days from post-implantation day (PID) 14.
Results: TBF decreased as the days passed and reached 43.2 +/- 10.0% on PID 50 in the non-CPP group, while it decreased 22.7 +/- 8.8% in the CPP group. LA on PID 50 was 17.8 +/- 14.0, 33.2 +/- 6.3 mumol glycerol/10(5) adipocytes in the non-CPP group, while LA did not increase in the CPP group. AAI was 28.8 +/- 16.4, 27.8 +/- 17.7, 10.3 +/- 9.9 and 0.4 +/- 1.1 on PID 10, 20, 30, and 40, respectively, in the non-CPP group. No change was noted in AAI after CPP.
Conclusions: CPP removed a humoral factor that possesses TBF-decreasing LA, but it did not suppress adipocyte apoptosis.