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Resumo
O câncer tem sido uma das principais causas de morte em todo o mundo e é considerado um sério problema de
saúde pública. A suplementação de L-arginina no suporte nutricional do portador de câncer tem sido avaliada
como substrato para o implemento do sistema imunólogico de portadores de câncer. O objetivo deste trabalho foi
realizar uma análise crítica das pesquisas publicadas, em periódicos indexados nas bases de dados Medline, Lilacs,
NCBI e Cochrane que avaliaram os efeitos farmacológicos da L-arginina em pacientes com câncer. Os efeitos da
suplementação com L-arginina em estudos experimentais têm sido promissores, porém as investigações clínicas
são insuficientes e controversas para se afirmar que esse aminoácido exerça efeito benéfico no sistema imunológico,
no tempo de sobrevida, no ganho ponderal, no menor crescimento tumoral e na incidência de metástase em
portadores de câncer. A realização de estudos clínicos controlados são necessários para estabelecer os critérios
para a utilização terapêutica da L-arginina em pacientes com diferentes tipos de câncer.
Palavras-chave: L-arginina; Neoplasias; Farmacologia; Suplementação alimentar.
Abstract
Cancer has been one of the main causes of death in the world and it is considered a serious public health problem.
The use of amounts of arginine in the nutritional support of the cancer patient has been evaluated not only as a simple
nitrogen enhancer, but also considering the pharmacological effects of this amino acid. The aim of this work is to
develop a critical analysis of papers published in indexed journals (Medline, Lilacs, NCBI and Cochrane databases)
which evaluated pharmacological effects of arginine in patients with cancer. Although the effects of arginine supple-
mentation in experimental studies are already known, the clinical investigation are insufficient and controversial to
affirm that the formulas containing this amino acid generate beneficial effects in the immunological system, in the
time of survival, in the weight increase, in the tumor growth and in the incidence of metastasis in cancer patients.
Controlled clinical studies are needed to establish criteria for the therapeutical use of arginine in patients with
different types of cancer.
Key words: Arginine; Neoplasms; Pharmacology; Supplementary feeding.
1
Profa. Dra. da Faculdade de Medicina. Fundação de Ensino e Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde/ Professora-orientadora da Pós-graduação em Nutrição
Humana e Ciências da Saúde da Universidade de Brasília. E-mail: ritanovaes@ig.com.br
2
Mestranda em Nutrição Clínica, Universidade de Brasília. Docente da Universidade Católica de Brasília. Nutricionista da Secretaria de Saúde do
Distrito Federal. Brasília-DF, Brasil. E-mail: fabianibeal@yahoo.com.br
Endereço para correspondência: M.R.C.G.N. - SHIS QI 13- CONJ. 03- CASA 06- Lago Sul- Brasilia-DF- Cep: 71.000.000. E-mail: ritanovaes@ig.com.br
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