It has been shown that angiogenesis plays an important role not only in tumor growth, but also in carcinogenesis. We previously reported that the copper-chelating agent, trientine dihydrochloride (trientine), exerted strong anti-angiogenic activity and inhibited hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor growth. The aim of the current study was to elucidate the effect of trientine on liver enzyme-altered preneoplastic lesions in rats, especially in conjunction with angiogenesis alteration in the liver. In a diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced rat hepatocarcinogenesis model, trientine treatment, even at a clinically comparable low dose, significantly suppressed glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P)-positive preneoplastic lesions associated with a decrease in copper content in the liver. Trientine also markedly suppressed neovascularization in the liver to a similar level as that of development of the preneoplastic lesions. On the contrary, the proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells were not altered with or without trientine treatment. These results suggested that the copper-chelating agent, trientine, exerted chemopreventive effects against rat liver carcinogenesis due to the suppression of angiogenesis, and suggest that it might be useful clinically as a chemopreventive agent of HCC.

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