Abstract

CASTRO, Gerardo Daniel; MACIEL, María Eugenia; QUINTANS, Leandro Néstor  and  CASTRO, José Alberto. Mechanisms involved in breast cancer induced by alcohol drinking and alternatives for prevention. Acta bioquím. clín. latinoam. [online]. 2015, vol.49, n.1, pp.19-37. ISSN 0325-2957.

Alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, increasing linearly even with a moderate consumption and irrespective of the type of alcoholic beverage. The precise mechanism is still far from being established. Studies by this laboratory suggest that acetaldehyde produced in situ and accumulated in mammary tissue because of poor detoxicating mechanisms might play a role in mutational and promotional events. Additional studies indicated the production of reactive oxygen species accompanied by decreases in vitamin E and glutathione contents and of glutathione transferase activity. The resulting oxidative stress might also play a relevant role in several stages of the carcinogenic process. Studies reported in the literature show that plasmatic levels of estrogens significantly increased after alcohol drinking and that breast cancer risk by alcohol is more related to ER-positive tumors than to ER-negative tumors. Estrogens are known to likely produce breast cancer by actions on ER and also act as chemical carcinogens as a result of their oxidation leading to reactive metabolites. In this review, a working hypothesis is introduced, integrating the effects of acetaldehyde and oxidative stress with those involving increased estrogen levels. Potential preventive actions are also analysed.

Keywords : Alcohol; Ethanol; Acetaldehyde; Free radicals; Mammary cancer; Oxidative stress; Estrogens; Polyphenols.

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