Pharmacology of L-arginine in cancer patients

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 supplementation 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.