micro-pixe analysis in invasive ductal carcinoma tissues after treatment of astaxanthin

background: trace elements play an important role in a number of biological processes. astaxanthin (asx), a carotoid pigment found in certain marine plant and animals, has shown anti cancer and anti free radical properties. this work intended to understand the effect of astaxanthin in breast cancer (invasive ductal carcinoma, idc) by using micro-pixe method. for this aim the concentration of trace elements were compared in healthy, cancerous and cancer treated with astaxanthin in the breast and liver tissues of breast cancer bearing mice, using proton induced x-ray emission (pixe). materials and methods: proton induced x-ray emission (pixe) was used in a study intending to compare the concentration of trace elements in breast and liver tissues of mice bearing tumor, three groups of mice: healthy, cancerous, and cancerous treated by astaxanthin, were considered. astaxanthin was supplied from research institute of women, alzahra university. results: comparing the untreated tumor tissue, treatment with astaxanthin significantly decreased the amount fe, p, s, and ca elements level in tumor tissue of the breast cancer. it is also found that the concentrations of those elements in liver of the untreated mice and the liver of treated mice with astaxanthin were fairly equal. astaxanthin significantly decrease the accumulation of elements in the site of tumor, and caused the breast cancer cell membrane to lose their desire to collect the elements from healthy tissues. conclusion: the micro -pixe technique could calculate elemental concentrations in tissues. changes in metallic elements may affect microenvironment and cell functions, which might led lead to cell degeneration or death, the results shows that astaxanthin reduces vital element concentration in tumor site, thus it could be used as an anti tumor agent. iran. j. radiat. res., 2009 7 (1): 33-39