What Researchers Did
Researchers used an in vitro model to investigate the effects of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) on the proliferation of normal, primary tumor, and metastatic human mammary epithelial cells, as well as the MCF7 human mammary adenocarcinoma cell line.
What They Found
HBO (97.9% O2, 2.1% CO2, 2.4 atmospheres absolute) inhibited the proliferation of all four cell types in a time-dependent manner (p < 0.01). While hyperoxia or increased atmospheric pressure alone also inhibited proliferation, their effects were less profound than HBO (p < 0.01). HBO also enhanced the anti-proliferative effects of melphalan (p < 0.05), gemcitabine (p < 0.001), and paclitaxel (p < 0.001).
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
This study was conducted using an in vitro model, meaning its findings may not directly translate to complex biological systems in living organisms.