Efeitos da ingestão de diferentes fontes lipídicas na mucosite em camundongos submetidos à quimioterapia com ARA-C

Abstract

Lipids play an important role in metabolism, in the structural composition, in the transmis- sion of cellular signals and in the body immune function. The different fatty acids that make up the triacylglycerols and phospholipids will dictate the type of organic response. The antineoplastic agents are widely used drugs in the treatment of various cancers, a treat- ment that often results in side effects responsible for restricting the rate and success of the chemotherapy. Thus, diets that prevent the deleterious effects of chemotherapy could be used as adjunct treatment of cancer or chemotherapy. This work was aimed at investigating the effects of the consumption of several lipid-based omega-3 (flaxseed oil), medium chain triglycerides (coconut) and Trans fatty acids (hydrogenated vegetable fat) in the intestinal tropism of mice treated with chemotherapy (cytarabine). Analyzing the effect of cytarabine in this study, it was found that this drug damaged the body, causing weight loss in mice, de- creased intestinal cell mass (suggested by the reduction in the DNA content of the intestinal mucosa) and relative increase of protein in the intestinal mucosa mainly in animals fed with soybean oil. The other fat sources did not alter the effect seen by the use of cytarabine. The results suggest, in the existing conditions, that there is no beneficial influence on the treatment due to the use of the mentioned lipid sources concomitantly to the application of the cytarabine, and the intake of soybean oil, for its richness in Omega-6, could exacerbate the inflammatory process resulting from the chemotherapy.