A syngeneic methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma (MCA) cell line was used as previously described [3]. It was cultivated at 37°C with 5% CO2 in 20 ml of Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) medium 1640 medium

containing glutaril, 10% FBS, and 1% penicillin/streptomycin (Invitrogen Corporation/Gibco/Life Technologies Ltd, Paisley, United Kingdom). This procedure was performed as described previously [3]. Briefly, animals were anesthetized AG-014699 in vitro by pentobarbital sodium (50 mg/kg), and oro-tracheal intubation was performed using a 16-gauge polyethylene Angiocath (Becton Dickinson, Sandy, UT). Animals were ventilated with a mixture of oxygen and isofluran (0.5%-2%, Forene; Abbott, Zug, Switzerland) using a tidal volume of 10 ml/kg and a respiratory rate of 75 to 90/min. A left-sided minithoracotomy was performed through the seventh intercostal space, and 0.1 ml of MCA cell solution containing

5 × 107 viable tumor cells was injected subpleurally into the left lower lobe using a 27-gauge needle [12]. The thoracotomy was closed layer by layer, and the endotracheal tube was removed. Treatment was initiated when the tumors had reached a size of approximately 4 to 6 mm in diameter (approximately 7 days) as previously described [13]. The animals were anesthetized, and a left-sided thoracotomy much was performed through the fourth intercostal space. The left lung was freed from its adhesions. A left

cervical incision was performed to cannulate Selleck Verteporfin the external jugular vein. Visudyne was dissolved in NaCl (0.9%) and glucose (5%) and injected at a dose of 0.0625 mg/kg. After 15 minutes, laser light was applied to the exposed lower lung at a wavelength of 689 nm by an optical fiber–based frontal light distributor (Medlight, Ecublens, Switzerland) coupled to a diode laser (4-W laser diode; Biolitec, Germany). Noncontact, nonthermal surface irradiation was performed to the tumor and the surrounding normal lung tissue with the incident laser beam directed perpendicular to the lung surface and centered on the tumor. The treatment spot had a diameter of 30 mm, and the treated area was exposed to an irradiance of 35 mW/cm2 and a light dose of 10 J/cm2 corresponding to a treatment time of approximately 5 minutes. The irradiances and the light doses were measured in real-time as previously described [7] and [12]. Immediately after laser light delivery, 400 μg of Liporubicin dissolved in 0.5 ml of 6% Hydroxyethyl Starch (HAES) was injected through the external jugular vein catheter. The time interval between Liporubicin administration and harvesting of the left lung (Liporubicin circulation time) was 60 minutes.