Biological changes of APA-BCC analgesic microcapsule in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with carcinomatous pain

To explore the changes of alginate-polylysine-alginate microcapsulated bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells (APA-BCC microcapsules) in morphology, survival rate and leucine- enkephalin secretion after they were transplanted into CSF of cancerpain patients, the APA- BCC microcapsules were Implanted into cavitas subarachnoidealis of cancer-pain patients by conventional lumbar puncture. After 7 or 8 days, cerebrospinal fluid was collected and the morphology of the APA-BCC microcapsule, the survival rate of cells were observed and secretory volume of leucine-enkephalin was assayed by radioimmunity method. Seven days after trans- plantation, the mean VAS decreased from 8.8 to 2.4, the survival rate of cells averagely reduced from 91.2% to 89.1%, morphology of APA-BCC microcapsules did not change obviously and secretory volume of leucine-enkephalin went up 1.65 times compared with that at pretrans- plantation. In conclusion, APA-BCC can survive, secret leucine-enkephalin and produce analgesic effect after transplanted into CSF of cancer-patients. (authors)