Efeito protetor do betacaroteno contra a ação genotóxica da doxorrubicina, em células somáticas de Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

The pro-vitamin A β-carotene (BC) is an efficient antioxidant, effective in the neutralization of reactive species of oxygen, which are related to serious damages caused to DNA, lipids and proteins. Because of that, we noticed a progression in studies that refer to the BC action in the chemoprevention of cancer and heart diseases. Theses advances have led to a better understanding of possibilities and influences of BC in human health. This way, the present work aimed at evaluating the protective effects of BC in three different doses (1, 2 and 4 mg/mL) against genotoxic action of doxorubicin DXR (0,125 mg/mL) by the test of spot detection in the flies of Drosophila melanogaster (Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test SMART). The results obtained in descendant from pattern crossing, treated with the three different doses of BC, demonstrated that there was no statistically significant increase in the frequency of mutant spots. However, there was a statistically significant decrease in the total number of spots, when BC was associated to DXR. This way we concluded that, in these experimental conditions, BC is not genotoxic and it has a protective effect against recombinagenic action of the chemotherapical DXR.