title: Chemotherapy and radiation regimens to breast cancer treatment induce changes in mRNA levels of renin-angiotensin system related genes in cardiac tissue.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cardiovascular complications are one limitation of breast cancer treatment. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether the renin-angiotensin related genes could be altered by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, using a rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female rats were divided into three groups: control, chemotherapy + irradiation (TC+IR) and irradiation (IR). Molecular analyses of the left ventricle were performed five months after the end of treatment. The analyses evaluated the changes in mRNA levels of some renin-angiotensin system (RAS) related genes: angiotensinogen, renin, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which can be related to ACE production, by RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Renin was only observed in treated groups, TC+IR and IR, compared with the control group. ACE and VEGF levels were decreased in TC+IR (p<0.001) and in IR (p<0.001), and AT1 mRNA was higher in groups TC+IR (p<0.01) and IR (p<0.05) compared with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chemotherapy and irradiation can induce significant changes in some RAS related genes. These alterations are important to understand the pathways and consequences beyond cardiotoxicity induced by breast cancer treatments.
authors.affiliation: 1Laboratório de Ciências Radiológicas, Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, UERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salata
authors.forename: Samara Cristina
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ferreira-Machado
authors.forename: André Luiz
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Mencalha
authors.forename: Cherley Borba Vieira
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: de Andrade
authors.forename: Vera Maria Araújo
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: de Campos
authors.forename: Carlos Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Mandarim-de-Lacerda
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: deAlmeida
mesh_terms: D000808:Angiotensinogen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D044140:Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012083:Renin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000235:genetics*; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D044140:Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000808:Angiotensinogen; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; D012083:Renin
keywords: Breast cancer; RAS; cardiotoxicity; chemotherapy; radiotherapy