Abstract
Cancer chemotherapy is frequently accompanied by adverse effects, such as diarrhoea and leukopenia, which lead to malnutrition and a decrease in the patients’ quality of life. We previously demonstrated that an immune-modulating formula (IMF)—an enteral formula enriched with immunonutrients, whey-hydrolysed peptides, and fermented milk—had anti-inflammatory effects and protective effects on intestinal disorders in some experimental models. Here, we investigated whether nutritional treatment with the IMF could prevent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced adverse effects in rats. Rats were randomised into CTR and IMF groups, which received a control formula or the IMD supplemented formula ad libitum. Two weeks after starting the formula, rats were intraperitoneally injected with 5-FU (300 mg/kg) on day 0. The treatment with 5-FU decreased their body weights, food intake, and leukocyte counts, and worsened the diarrhoea score. However, the body weights, food intake, and leukocyte counts were significantly higher in the IMF rats than in the CTR rats on day 1. The IMF also delayed the incidence of diarrhoea and significantly preserved the villus heights in the jejunum on day 2. In conclusion, nutritional treatment with the IMF alleviated the adverse effects induced by 5-FU injection in rats.
Highlights
The adverse effects of chemotherapeutic agents, such as gastrointestinal toxicity and leukopenia, often lead to a reduction of the dosage, discontinuation of cancer treatment, malnutrition, or a reduction in the patients’ quality of life
No significant differences in the body weight and food intake were observed between the groups before 5-FU injection (Fig 1A and Table 2)
The immune-modulating formula (IMF) suppressed the reduction of body weight, food intake, and leukocyte count at early time points after 5-FU injection in rats
Summary
The adverse effects of chemotherapeutic agents, such as gastrointestinal toxicity and leukopenia, often lead to a reduction of the dosage, discontinuation of cancer treatment, malnutrition, or a reduction in the patients’ quality of life. Malnutrition in cancer patients worsens treatment outcome, incidence of chemotherapy toxicity and quality of life [1, 2]. It is important to continue cancer chemotherapy, while maintaining patients’ nutritional status and without (or while controlling) the occurrence of adverse effects. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is one of the most commonly used chemotherapeutic agents for various cancer treatments [3]. Like any other chemotherapy agent, 5-FU has many adverse effects, such as diarrhoea, gastrointestinal mucositis, poor appetite, leukopenia, and nausea.
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