EUTERPE OLERACEA (AÇAÍ) EXTRACT HAS PROTECTIVE EFFECTS IN EXPERIMENTAL BREAST CANCER TREATED WITH THE FAC-D PROTOCOL

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide, with the exception of non-melanoma skin tumors. In addition, it has been recognized as one of the main public health problems in the world. In Brazil, the most common chemotherapy regimen is the FAC-D protocol (5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide, with docetaxel or paclitaxel), which produces several adverse effects. It has already been shown that açaí, a fruit native to Brazil, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer and cardioprotective effects. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the use of açaí with the FAC-D protocol in an in vivo breast cancer model. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Approved by CEUA UEZO (nº 008/2014), breast cancer was induced in 40 female Wistar rats (8 weeks old, 150 g) by subcutaneous injection of 25mg/kg of 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) in the mammary gland. Treatment with açaí (200 mg/kg) or saline solution was started after 60 days, via gastric tube for 45 consecutive days. The FAC-D protocol was started after 90 days of induction by intraperitoneal injection for 3 cycles with an interval of 7 days each. After treatment, blood (leucogram, glycemia and biochemistry), tumor (macroscopic and histological), heart (macroscopic, histological and immunohistochemical), liver and kidneys (macroscopic and histological) were collected for analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Histological analysis showed invasive carcinoma in both groups, however, the saline group presented more inflammatory clusters. No differences were observed based on body weight, blood glucose, AST, ALT, creatinine, urea and on macroscopic and histological analysis of liver and kidneys in both groups. However, açaí treatment decreased CK and CKMB levels and increased the number of neutrophils and monocytes. The histopathology of the heart showed normal myocardium histology in the treatment with açaí, while the saline group presented greater toxicity with loss of cardiac tissue architecture. Picrosirius red analysis revealed higher staining in heart samples from the açaí group, while H2AX immunohistochemistry revealed lower immunostaining in the açaí group. In conclusion, açaí berry was shown as a promising adjuvant treatment in breast cancer.