Problems of Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology

V. B. Orel^1,2, А. А. Chumak³, V. E. Orel^1,2, A. Yu. Galkin², A. І. Tovstolytkin⁴, A. G. Diedkov¹,
V. V. Ostafiichuk¹, S. O. Mamilov⁴, V. V. Shlykov², O. V. Ganich¹, O. Yo. Dasyukevich¹,
O. Yu. Rykhalskyi¹, O. S. Ostapenko⁴

¹National Cancer Institute, 33/43 Yulii Zdanovskoi Str., Kyiv, 03022, Ukraine
²National Technical University of Ukraine «Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute», 16/2 Yangel St., 03056 Kyiv, Ukraine
³State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Hematology and Oncology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine», 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
⁴V. G. Baryakhtar Institute of Magnetism of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 36"b Akad. Vernadskogo Blvd., 03142 Kyiv, Ukraine

STUDY OF THE COMBINED EFFECT OF DOXORUBICIN-LOADED SUPERPARAMAGNETIC NANOPARTICLES AND NON-IONISING ELECTROMAGNETIC IRRADIATION ON WALKER-256 CARCINOSARCOMA

Objective: to examine the combined effect of doxorubicin-loaded superparamagnetic nanoparticles and non-ionising electromagnetic irradiation on Walker-256 carcinosarcoma using magnetochemical technology.
Materials and methods: Non-inbred female rats were divided into the control (untreated tumour-bearing) and experimental group receiving superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (3 mg/kg, Sigma-Aldrich, USA) loaded with doxorubicin (1.5 mg/kg, Pfizer, Italy) and exposed to a static magnetic (30 mT) and electromagnetic field (42 MHz) for 15 minutes (5 sessions from day 2 after tumour inoculation). Tumour structural changes were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5 T field strength and 63.9 MHz frequency (Intera, Philips, Netherlands), followed by texture heterogeneity analysis with LifeX software (France). Free iron, ceruloplasmin, superoxide radical and nitric oxide were measured by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to characterise the tumour and blood redox state.
Results. Combined treatment reduced tumour volume by 44–64 % on days 13–18 compared with the control (p < 0.05). Texture parameters (intensity, entropy, dissimilarity, autocorrelation, cluster tendency) in tumour regions of interest on T2-weighted images were 17–53 % lower than in the control (p < 0.05). After treatment, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed lower superoxide radical (4.5-fold) and nitric oxide (1.2-fold) levels in tumour samples, in addition to increased free iron, ceruloplasmin (by 11 %) and reduced superoxide (by 54 %), nitric oxide (by 26 %) in blood samples of tumour-bearing animals, compared with the control (p < 0.05).
Conclusion. Doxorubicin-loaded superparamagnetic nanoparticles combined with electromagnetic irradiation inhibit Walker-256 carcinosarcoma growth, reduce intratumour heterogeneity and initiate changes in the tumour and blood redox state.
Key words: nanocomplex; doxorubicin; electromagnetic irradiation; magnetochemical technology; magnetic resonance imaging; tumour heterogeneity; redox state; Walker-256 carcinosarcoma.

Problems of Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology.
2025;30:260-272. doi: 10.33145/2304-8336-2025-30-260-272

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