Statin: A Chemopreventive Agent for Liver Carcinogenesis in Rat

Statin is a potential antihypercholesterolemic agent, which inhibits 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, the rate limiting enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis. The beneficial effects of statin therapy, however, are not limited to patients with hypercholesterolemia. Increasing evidence suggest that an activity level of HMG-CoA reductase may affect various cellular functions such as DNA synthesis, cell proliferation, diverse signal transduction pathways leading to pathogenesis. The use of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor in varying diseases is under investigation. This book is the most current hands-on book in the field of hepatocarcinogenesis. This book provides valuable coverage in hepatocellular carcinoma. It offers the latest techniques and approaches to conduct the hepatocarcinogenesis studies such as cell proliferation and differentiation. In the present study, the authors have evaluated the chemo-preventive potential of statins as the end point biomarker in a diethylnitrosamine-induced rat hepatocarcinogenesis model by morphometric analysis of precancerous lesions during neoplastic transformation of cells. Further, hepatic histopathological assessments of preneoplastic lesions are carried out and correlated with the morphometric findings. Expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and metallothionein (MT) are studied by enzyme labeled immunochemistry.