Dual role of vitamin C on lipid profile and combined application of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil treatment in fibrosarcoma-bearing rats

Combined application of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil (CMF ) has been followed in the treatment of breast cancer. The combined effect of CMF and vitamin C on plasma lipid and lipoprotein is important, since vi tamin C encumbers the lipid abnormalities instigated by CMF. Hence, the stu dy was launched to appraise the salubrious role of vitamin C in CMF adminis tered fibrosarcoma-bearing rats. Fibrosarcoma cell line-induced rats were t reated with CMF (cyclophosphamide 10 mg/kg b.w., methotrexate 1 mg/kg b.w., 5-fluorouracil 10 mg/kg b.w. and vitamin C 200 mg/kg b.w.) individually an d in combination for 120 days. The concentration of plasma lipids and lipop rotein was determined in control and experimental rats. The untreated as we ll as CMF administered fibrosarcoma-bearing rats divulged significantly in increased levels of plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) chol esterol, as compared with their respective control animals. Whereas ester a nd high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels exhibited a marked dec rease in these animals. However, these lipid abnormalities were found to be moderated by co-administration of vitamin C. These results suggested that some clinical entanglement of CMF was refrained by co-administration of vit amin C in tumor stress condition. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. Al l rights reserved.