Abstract

FARIA, Bruna; BISPO, Cátia; CORDEIRO, Mariana  and  BALTAZAR, Ana. ARISTOLOCHIC ACID - NEPHROPATHY AND CANCER. Acta Port Nutr [online]. 2021, n.24, pp.70-75.  Epub June 15, 2021. ISSN 2183-5985.  https://doi.org/10.21011/apn.2021.2413.

Aristolochic acid is a natural toxic compound, from the family of a perennial herb, Aristolochia. It belongs to the family of nitrophenanthrole carboxylic acids and is a mixture of two structurally similar acids: aristolochic acid I and aristolochic acid II. Plant species containing aristolochic acid were used primarily in traditional Chinese medicine.

The aim of this article is to review the relationship between the toxic effect of aristolochic acid and the occurrence of nephropathy and cancer.

Ingestion of aristolochic acid causes nephrotoxicity, genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Aristolochic acid nephropathy and endemic nephropathy in the Balkans are derived from aristolochic acid food poisoning and are highly associated with the occurrence of urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract. Aristolochic acid was classified as a group I carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

The knowledge of the direct relationship between the toxic effects of aristolochic acid consumption and the occurrence of aristolochic acid nephropathy and urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract should be considered important for its future prevention.

Keywords : acid; Aristolochic Acid and Cancer; Aristolochic Acid Nephropathy.

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