Chemotherapy-Induced Changes in Plasma Amino Acids and Lipid Oxidation of Resected Patients with Colorectal Cancer: A Background for Future Studies

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 25; no. 10; p. 5300
• Main Authors: Aquilani, Roberto, Brugnatelli, Silvia, Maestri, Roberto, Iadarola, Paolo, Corallo, Salvatore, Pagani, Anna, Serra, Francesco, Bellini, Anna, Buonocore, Daniela, Dossena, Maurizia, Boschi, Federica, Verri, Manuela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.05.2024
• Subjects: Adjuvant treatment; Adult; Aged; Amino acids; Amino Acids - blood; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Cancer; Cancer patients; Cancer therapies; Capecitabine - therapeutic use; Chemotherapy; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal Neoplasms - blood; Colorectal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Colorectal Neoplasms - surgery; Creatinine; Deoxycytidine - analogs & derivatives; Deoxycytidine - therapeutic use; Drugs; Ethnicity; Female; Females; Fluorouracil - therapeutic use; Gender differences; Humans; Leucovorin - therapeutic use; Lipid Metabolism - drug effects; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Lipids; Male; Malondialdehyde - blood; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Oncology, Experimental; Organoplatinum Compounds - therapeutic use; Oxaloacetates; Oxidation; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxidative stress; Pilot Projects; Plasma; Protein synthesis; Proteins; Ratios; Toxicity; plasma malondialdehyde changes; primary tumor location; colorectal cancer; FOLFOX and XELOX therapy; plasma amino acid changes; potential clinical implications
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105300

Previous studies have documented that FOLFOX and XELOX therapies negatively impact the metabolism of skeletal muscle and extra-muscle districts. This pilot study tested whether three-month FOLFOX or XELOX therapy produced changes in plasma amino acid levels (PAAL) (an estimation of whole-body amino acid metabolism) and in plasma levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid hyper oxidation. Fourteen ambulatory, resected patients with colorectal cancer scheduled to receive FOLFOX (n = 9) or XELOX (n = 5) therapy, after overnight fasting, underwent peripheral venous blood sampling, to determine PAAL and MDA before, during, and at the end of three-month therapy. Fifteen healthy matched subjects (controls) only underwent measures of PAAL at baseline. The results showed changes in 87.5% of plasma essential amino acids (EAAs) and 38.4% of non-EAAs in patients treated with FOLFOX or XELOX. These changes in EAAs occurred in two opposite directions: EAAs decreased with FOLFOX and increased or did not decrease with XELOX (interactions: from p = 0.034 to p = 0.003). Baseline plasma MDA levels in both FOLFOX and XELOX patients were above the normal range of values, and increased, albeit not significantly, during therapy. In conclusion, three-month FOLFOX or XELOX therapy affected plasma EAAs differently but not the baseline MDA levels, which were already high.