RESUMEN
Increased oxidative stress may contribute to cancer anorexia, which could be ameliorated by antioxidant supplementation. methylcholanthrene (MCA) sarcoma-bearing Fisher rats were studied. After tumour inoculation, rats were randomly assigned to standard diet (CTR group, n = 6), or to an antioxidant-enriched diet (AOX group, n = 8). Eight more rats (STD-AOX group) switched from standard to antioxidant diet when anorexia developed. At the end of the study, food intake (FI, g/d), body weight and tumour weight (g) were recorded, and plasma samples were obtained. On day 16, anorexia has appeared only in CTR and STD-AOX animals. At the end of the study, FI in AOX animals was still higher than in the other groups (p = 0.08). No differences in body and tumour weights were observed among groups. However, hydrogen peroxide and interleukin-1ß levels were significantly reduced only in AOX rats. Data obtained suggest that early antioxidant supplementation improves cancer anorexia, ameliorates oxidative stress and reduces inflammation.