Oxidative Stress gives Tumor Cells growth advantage over Normal Cells

Oxidative Stress gives Tumor Cells growth advantage over Normal Cells

(Breast Cancer-January 27, 2003)

According to recent research from India, "the increasing global incidence of breast cancer emphasizes the need to understand the various mechanisms involved in breast tumorigenesis. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the use of lipid peroxidation and antioxidants as biomarkers in human mammary tumors.

"The extent of lipid peroxidation as evidenced by the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) and conjugated dienes (CD) as well as the status of the antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues of 30 breast cancer patients was estimated," wrote R. Kumaraguruparan and colleagues, Annamalai University.

The researchers found that "lipid peroxidation in breast cancer tissues was enhanced compared to the corresponding adjacent uninvolved tissues. This was accompanied by significant elevation in both enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants."

The researchers concluded: "We suggest that upregulation of antioxidants induced by oxidative stress confers a selective growth advantage to tumor cells over their adjacent normal counterparts."

Kumaraguruparan and colleagues published their study in Clinica Chimica Acta (Tissue lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in patients with adenocarcinoma of the breast. Clin Chim Acta, 2002;325(1-2):165-170).

For additional information, contact S. Nagini, Annamalai University, Faculty Science, Dept. pf Biochemistry, Annamalainagar 608002, Tamil Nadu, India.

The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of Breast Cancer, Carcinogenesis, Endocrinology, Oncology and Women's Health This article was prepared by Clinical Oncology Week editors from staff and other reports.

This story has been adapted from a news release issued by NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net