RESUMO
Disulfiram, a drug that has been used for alcohol dependence. As an approved drug in clinical medicine, disulfiram can be used as the anticancer drug in the treatment of breast cancer, prostate cancer, glioblastoma, lung cancer, etc. This paper summarized the mechanism of disulfiram for anticancer treatment and the function for liver cancer therapy, and we also analyzed the potential mechanism of disulfiram for the treatment of liver cancer and its’ value in the clinical application.
RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a modified rat model of liver cancer with concurrent cirrhosis for the study of carcinogenesis characteristics and drug intervention of liver cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty male Wistar rats weighing 100-120 g were randomly divided into normal control group (20 rats) and model group (30 rats). In the model group, the rats were subjected to intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg DEN N-diethylnitrosamine (DEN) twice a week for 4 consecutive weeks, followed then by weekly injections for another 10 weeks. The control rats received injections of 0.1 ml saline in the same manner. At 2, 4, 8, 12, 14, and 18 weeks, 3 rats from each group were sacrificed for assessing tumor formation and liver cirrhosis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Liver cancer with concurrent cirrhosis was induced successfully after 14 weeks of DEN injections. At the 14th week, 3 out of the 5 rats were found to have cirrhosis and LC, and at the 18th week, all the 3 rats examined had cirrhosis and liver cancer. The total carcinogenesis rate in the rats was 75% at 18 weeks with an overall mortality of 33%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This approach to establishing rat models of liver cancer with concurrent cirrhosis requires simple operation, shortens the time of carcinogenesis, and ensures a high success rate of carcinogenesis and a low mortality rate. The carcinogenesis characteristics in this model are similar to those in human.</p>