Iron chelator deferoxamine reduces preneoplastic lesions in liver induced by choline-deficient L-amino acid-defined diet in rats

The aim of this study was to investigate whether an iron chelator, deferoxa mine (DFO) can prevent lipid peroxidation, resulting in reduced liver injur y as well as reducing preneoplastic lesions induced by a choline-deficient L-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet. CDAA diet administration resulted in an i ncreased serum ALT level (367 +/- 58) after two weeks, but simultaneous DFO treatment for two weeks reduced this elevation of ALT as well as malondial dehyde (MDA) production in the liver. Feeding rats a CDAA diet for 12 weeks led to the development of severe liver fibrosis and preneoplastic lesions detected as enzyme-altered lesions. DFO treatment prevented the expression of activated stellate cells, resulting in the reduction of liver fibrosis a s well as reducing the development of preneoplastic lesions. These results indicate that iron chelation can reduce the development of preneoplastic le sions in a CDAA diet model.