Jornal de Nanomedicina e Nanotecnologia

Abstrato

Normal Pregnancy and Lactation in a Cat after Treatment of Mammary Gland Tumor When Using Photothermal Therapy with Gold Nanorods: A Case Report

Abdoon AS, Al-Ashkar EA, Shabaka A, Kandil OM, Eisa WH, Shaban AM, Khaled HM, El Ashkar MR, El Shaer M, Shaalan AH and El Sayed MA

Background: Breast cancer therapy, which includes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and/or systemic therapy can have a profound impact on reproductive functions, leading to loss of fertility. To our knowledge, this is the first report on cancer photothermal therapy using gold nanorods on the mammary gland treatment of a cat, and the safe effect of the treatment on the reproductive function after tumor remission.

Case presentation: A seven years old Shirazi cat (Toatoa) was evaluated because of a 2-week history of progressive dyspnea, signs of depression, and loss of appetite. The cat has a large tumor mass at the left caudal mammary gland. The diameter of the tumor mass was measured using caliper with the dimensions of 14 × 12 × 10.5 cm for length, width and depth, respectively. This was confirmed with ultrasonography. Biopsy samples were taken and fixed in 10% formalin for histopathological investigation, and it was diagnosed as mammary gland adenocarcinoma Grade II. Toatoa was injected intratumoral (IT) with 75 μg gold nanorods (GNRs)/kg body weight followed by exposure to 808 nm laser light for 10 min. GNRs were injected twice, with 15 days apart. After 15 days from the first GNRs injection, there was 60% ablation of the tumor size, while, after 17 days from the second GNRs dose, there was a complete tumor remission. Ultrasound scanning revealed complete ablation of the tumor mass. Complete blood picture (CBC), liver and kidney function analyses showed no changes in any of the tested parameters and indicated that GNRs photothermal treatment is safe and have no immediate toxic effects. After complete remission of the mammary gland tumor, the cat restores all the biological activities including the reproductive function. After 2 months from complete tumor remission, the cat was pregnant after mating with a fertile male, and 62 days later she delivered 3 kittens of normal morphology and growth rate. Breast feeding was found to be normal from all the nipples including the previously affected nipple.

Conclusion: Photothermal therapy with gold nanorods can be used for the treatment of mammary gland tumor with apparently no impairments of reproductive functions in cats.