Evaluation of the skeletal and visceral development of the offspring of male rats irradiated and treated with inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system

Abstract

The radiotherapy is one of the most common treatment of cancer. This therapy, through the ionizing radiation, can be a means of cure or can contribute to improve the patient's life's quality. However, this intervention can bring important tissue damage, destroying the healthy tissue beyond the tumor, through a serie of molecular events, triggering excessive production of free radicals. Particularly in male germinative cells, the oxidative stress can lead to genetic mutations that can be transmitted to the future generations of descendants. A lot of studies point to the potential radioprotector effect of the inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the prevention of damages, because they contribute to reduce the oxidative stress. So, this work aims to evaluate the radiation repercussions over the offspring of pre-conception male rats irradiated and verify the potential of the antagonists of the AT1 receptor in the prevention of possible consequences. It is expected that the results obtained can extend the knowledge about the transgenerational effects of the radiation as well as contribute to the area of genetic counseling. (AU)