Um dos principais desafios no tratamento quimioterápico em seres humanos e animais é a resistência que as células neoplásicas apresentam, sendo esse mecanismo responsável por falhas no tratamento e recidivas da doença. A resistência pode ser intrínseca ou adquirida e ocorre em função da expressão de transportadores de membrana ABC, como a glicoproteína P (ABCB1/MDR), proteínas de resistência a múltiplas drogas (ABCC1/MRP) e proteína de resistência do câncer de mama (ABCG2/BCRP). O linfoma é a neoplasia hematopoiética mais comum em cães, altamente responsiva à quimioterapia, mas que recidiva durante o tratamento antineoplásico, sendo a resistência das células neoplásicas aos quimioterápicos um fator responsável pela alta taxa de recidiva e óbito dos animais. Neste estudo avaliou-se a expressão de genes relacionados à resistência a múltiplas drogas em cães com linfoma, no diagnóstico e na recidiva da doença, em três diferentes protocolos quimioterápicos utilizados na rotina clínica. A expressão dos genes ABCB1, ABCC1, ACBG2 foi determinada por RT-PCR (PCR em tempo real) em 25 animais naturalmente acometidos pela doença, divididos aleatoriamente em 3 grupos tratados com os protocolos quimioterápicos COP, VCM e Short-Madison, além de um "pool" controle constituído por linfonodos normais de oito animais. A expressão dos genes foi detectada em todas as amostras, tanto de linfonodos normais quanto de animais com linfoma. No diagnóstico da doença, a expressão do gene ABCC1 foi relacionada negativamente com idade (p=0,008) e positivamente com duração da remissão (p=0,027) e sobrevida (p=0,007), entretanto para os genes ABCB1 e ABCG2 não houve diferença estatística significante. Na recidiva, a expressão dos genes não sofreu variação estatística significante em função do tipo e duração da remissão e sobrevida. Não houve variação na expressão dos genes ABCB1, ACBC1 e ABCG2 no momento da recidiva quando comparado ao protocolo quimioterápico utilizado. / One of the main challenges of the chemotherapy treatment in human and animals is the resistance of the neoplasic cells, being this mechanism responsible for failures in the treatment and relapse of the disease. The resistance could be intrinsic or acquired and it occurs due to the expression of ABC membrane transporters, such as p-glycoprotein (ABCB1/MDR), resistance protein to multiple drugs (ABCC1/MRP) and resistance protein of breast cancer (ABCG2/BCRP). Lymphoma is the most common hematopoietic cancer disease in dogs, highly responsive to chemotherapy, but relapse during chemotherapy treatment, being the resistance of neoplastic cells to chemotherapy drugs the responsible factor for the high rate of relapse and death of animals. In this study, genes expression related to multiples drugs resistance it was evaluated in dogs with lymphoma, in the diagnosis and in the relapse of the disease in three different chemotherapy protocols used in the clinical routine. The genes expression ABCB1, ABCC1, ACBG2 was determined by RT-PCR (real time PCR) in 25 animals naturally undertaken by the illness, randomly divided into 3 groups treated with the chemotherapy protocols COP, VCM and Short-Madison, besides a "pool" control constituted by normal lymph node of eight animals. The genes expression was detected in all the samples, both in the normal lymph node and in the animals with lymphoma. In the diagnosis of the disease, the gene expression ABCC1 was negatively related with age (p=0,008) and positively with the duration of remission (p=0,027) and survival (p=0,007); however, for ABCB1 and ABCG2 there was no statiscally significant difference. In the relapse, the genes expression had no statiscally significant difference due to the type and duration of remission and survival. There was no variation in the genes expression ABCB1, ACBC1 and ABCG2 in the moment of relapse when compared to the chemotherapy protocol used.

Um dos principais desafios no tratamento quimioterápico em seres humanos e animais é a resistência que as células neoplásicas apresentam, sendo esse mecanismo responsável por falhas no tratamento e recidivas da doença. A resistência pode ser intrínseca ou adquirida e ocorre em função da expressão de transportadores de membrana ABC, como a glicoproteína P (ABCB1/MDR), proteínas de resistência a múltiplas drogas (ABCC1/MRP) e proteína de resistência do câncer de mama (ABCG2/BCRP). O linfoma é a neoplasia hematopoiética mais comum em cães, altamente responsiva à quimioterapia, mas que recidiva durante o tratamento antineoplásico, sendo a resistência das células neoplásicas aos quimioterápicos um fator responsável pela alta taxa de recidiva e óbito dos animais. Neste estudo avaliou-se a expressão de genes relacionados à resistência a múltiplas drogas em cães com linfoma, no diagnóstico e na recidiva da doença, em três diferentes protocolos quimioterápicos utilizados na rotina clínica. A expressão dos genes ABCB1, ABCC1, ACBG2 foi determinada por RT-PCR (PCR em tempo real) em 25 animais naturalmente acometidos pela doença, divididos aleatoriamente em 3 grupos tratados com os protocolos quimioterápicos COP, VCM e Short-Madison, além de um "pool" controle constituído por linfonodos normais de oito animais. A expressão dos genes foi detectada em todas as amostras, tanto de linfonodos normais quanto de animais com linfoma. No diagnóstico da doença, a expressão do gene ABCC1 foi relacionada negativamente com idade (p=0,008) e positivamente com duração da remissão (p=0,027) e sobrevida (p=0,007), entretanto para os genes ABCB1 e ABCG2 não houve diferença estatística significante. Na recidiva, a expressão dos genes não sofreu variação estatística significante em função do tipo e duração da remissão e sobrevida. Não houve variação na expressão dos genes ABCB1, ACBC1 e ABCG2 no momento da recidiva quando comparado ao protocolo quimioterápico utilizado. / One of the main challenges of the chemotherapy treatment in human and animals is the resistance of the neoplasic cells, being this mechanism responsible for failures in the treatment and relapse of the disease. The resistance could be intrinsic or acquired and it occurs due to the expression of ABC membrane transporters, such as p-glycoprotein (ABCB1/MDR), resistance protein to multiple drugs (ABCC1/MRP) and resistance protein of breast cancer (ABCG2/BCRP). Lymphoma is the most common hematopoietic cancer disease in dogs, highly responsive to chemotherapy, but relapse during chemotherapy treatment, being the resistance of neoplastic cells to chemotherapy drugs the responsible factor for the high rate of relapse and death of animals. In this study, genes expression related to multiples drugs resistance it was evaluated in dogs with lymphoma, in the diagnosis and in the relapse of the disease in three different chemotherapy protocols used in the clinical routine. The genes expression ABCB1, ABCC1, ACBG2 was determined by RT-PCR (real time PCR) in 25 animals naturally undertaken by the illness, randomly divided into 3 groups treated with the chemotherapy protocols COP, VCM and Short-Madison, besides a "pool" control constituted by normal lymph node of eight animals. The genes expression was detected in all the samples, both in the normal lymph node and in the animals with lymphoma. In the diagnosis of the disease, the gene expression ABCC1 was negatively related with age (p=0,008) and positively with the duration of remission (p=0,027) and survival (p=0,007); however, for ABCB1 and ABCG2 there was no statiscally significant difference. In the relapse, the genes expression had no statiscally significant difference due to the type and duration of remission and survival. There was no variation in the genes expression ABCB1, ACBC1 and ABCG2 in the moment of relapse when compared to the chemotherapy protocol used.

Background: Negative outcomes from fetal exposure to maternal dug use include Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and altered development, the unpredictability of which suggests a biological element as yet not accounted for. The manner in which the human placenta protects the fetus from xenobiotics such as drugs of misuse is not completely characterised. However, Adenosine Triphosphate Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters in placentae have demonstrated their ability to efflux xenobiotics away from the fetal vascular compartment leading to lower concentrations than in the maternal compartment and some commonly used drugs have been shown to be substrates for these proteins, e.g. methadone. It is suggested that polymorphisms in the genes that encode these transporter proteins may alter their expression and/or function. Hypothesis- Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ABC transporters ABCB1, ABCG2, ABCC1 and ABCC2 change protein expression and/or function leading to increased fetal exposure demonstrated by increased signs of NAS and/or altered development. Objectives: To determine if genotype alters protein expression and whether there is a relationship between the level of placental multidrug resistance protein P-glycoprotein (P-gp), Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP), Multidrug Resistance Associated Proteins (MRP1 and MRP2) expression and neonatal and/or developmental outcomes. Methods: Drug using women were recruited. In the immediate postnatal period placental tissue, cord blood and maternal hair samples were taken. Hair was analysed to determine drug use in the preceding 3 months, immunoblotting determined the level of P-gp, BCRP, MRP1 and MRP2 protein expression. Sequenom MassExtend Array produced genotypes from DNA obtained from cord blood. Infants were assessed for NAS at birth, 3 days and 3 weeks. At 8 months and 1 year development was assessed using the Griffiths Mental Development Scales. Plink was used to determine statistically significant associations between genotype and outcome phenotypes. Results- The level of fetal drug exposure did not predict the need for pharmacological treatment for NAS. 32 polymorphisms with significant associations to outcome measures were identified: 4 SNPs significantly altered protein expression, (3 for P-gp and 1 for MRP1). 41 SNPs were associated with changes across 4 of the 5 GMDS subscales. Discussion: No clear relationship between MDRP protein expression and neonatal outcome was noted. However, fetal genotype did influence the expression of P-gp and MRP1 and genotype across all four proteins was associated with significant changes in the measures of infant development. This was a small study and as such generation of susceptible haplotypes was not possible. However the data generated do support the concept. Further larger and longer term prospective studies, building on the experience reported in this thesis, are necessary to generate more data in order to identify haplotypes leading to increased fetal susceptibility to drug exposure.