Effect of bioactive whey protein-supplemented paclitaxel on nutritional status and tumor growth in a mouse model of subcutaneously transplanted triple-negative breast cancer

Abstract

Purpose: To study the effect of bioactive whey protein-supplemented paclitaxel on nutritional status and tumor growth in a mouse model of subcutaneously transplanted triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).Methods: Eighty (80) mice were equally assigned to chemotherapy and control groups. The chemotherapy-treated mice received bioactive whey protein-supplemented paclitaxel chemotherapy, while the control group received paclitaxel chemotherapy only. Differences in body weight, glutathione (GSH) contents in tumor tissue and blood, tumor volume and extent of tumor suppression, serum levels of CA153 and TSGF, and survival time were determined and compared between the two groups.Results: After 4 weeks, tumor tissue GSH was markedly lower in chemotherapy-exposed mice than in control mice, while blood GSH content in the chemotherapy group was significantly higher than that of control group (p < 0.05). After drug administration, volume of transplanted tumor and tumor weight were significantly lower in chemotherapy mice than in control mice, while levels of CA153 and TSGF in serum were down-regulated in chemotherapy-exposed mice, relative to control mice. Moreover, the mean survival time of mice in chemotherapy group was significantly longer than that in control group (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Bioactive whey protein-supplemented paclitaxel improves the nutritional status of mice, slows down weight loss, lowers the levels of tumor growth factors, suppresses tumor growth, prolongs survival period, and improves prognosis of subcutaneously transplanted triple negative breast cancer in mice. This therapeutic strategy can potentially be used. for the management of breast cancer but this requires prior successful clinical trials