Effects of cancer-induced cachexia and administration of l-glutathione on the intestinal mucosa in rat

• Published in: Amino acids 2024-04, Vol.56 (1), p.30-14, Article 30
• Main Authors: Sestak, Sabrina Silva, da Motta Lima, Fabiana Galvão, de Oliveira, Ana Paula, Barateiro, Letícia Ganem Rillo Paz, Vieira-Frez, Flávia Cristina, de Souza, Sara Raquel Garcia, Guarnier, Flávia Alessandra, Perles, Juliana Vanessa Colombo Martins, Zanoni, Jacqueline Nelisis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analytical Chemistry; Animal models; Animals; Antioxidant; Apoptosis; Atrophy; Biochemical Engineering; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cachexia; Cachexia - drug therapy; Cancer; Cell proliferation; Damage assessment; Damage detection; Duodenum; Gastrointestinal system; Gastrointestinal tract; Glutathione; Goblet cells; Intestinal Mucosa; Intestine; Life Sciences; Male; Mast cells; Morphometry; Mucosa; Neoplasms; Neurobiology; Original Article; Oxidative stress; Proteomics; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Serotonin; Tumors; Vasoactive agents; Vasoactive intestinal peptide; Walker-256 tumor
• ISSN: 1438-2199; 0939-4451; 1438-2199
• DOI: 10.1007/s00726-024-03391-9

Walker-256 tumor is an experimental model known to promote cachexia syndrome, oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation. This study evaluated the duodenal mucosa of rats with Walker-256 tumor administered with 1% l -glutathione, intending to evaluate the damage caused by cancer-associated cachexia in the gastrointestinal tract and the effects of antioxidant administration on mucosal protection. Twenty-four 55-day-old male Wistar rats were distributed into four groups: control (C); control administered with 1% l -glutathione (C-GSH); Walker-256 tumor (W) and Walker-256 tumor administered with 1% l -glutathione (W-GSH). After 14 days of treatment, the duodenum was harvested for morphometric analysis of the mucosa, proliferation, apoptosis, immunostaining of varicosities immunoreactive (IR) to vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and 5-HT-IR cells, and quantification of mast cells and goblet cells. Walker-256 tumor-bearing rats showed cachexia syndrome, mucosal atrophy, reduced cell proliferation, reduced 5-HT-IR cells, and increased goblet cells and VIPergic varicosities, which were not reversed by l -glutathione. On the other hand, l -glutathione caused a reduction of cells in apoptosis and mast cell recruitment, demonstrating a partial recovery of the damage detected in the intestinal mucosa.