Cetirizine and thalidomide synergistically inhibit mammary tumorigenesis and angiogenesis in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-treated rats

Objective Cetirizine (CET) and thalidomide (THA) have been previously found to influence angiogenesis. The present study aimed to assess the ability of these drugs to influence mammary carcinogenesis in rats. Materials and methods Sixty Sprague-Dawley female rats, aged 8 weeks, received 15 mg of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) intragastrically. CET and THA (1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg, respectively) were administered orally for 118 days after DMBA administration. At the end of the treatment period, mammary tumors were counted and weighed, and their morphology was analyzed using light microscopy. In tumor tissue, proliferation and apoptotic indices and microvessel density were determined using immunohistochemical techniques; the levels of angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor, were measured by western blotting. Results CET and THA, administered separately, failed to influence tumor formation and angiogenesis. In contrast, the drug combination decreased latency to first tumor (significant difference from vehicle-treated control and groups that received either drug alone, P

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