Reversal of cancer cachexia in rats by cimaterol and supplemental nutrition.
The anabolic beta 2-agonist cimaterol was used in conjunction with supplemental nutrition to reverse cancer-induced cachexia and malnutrition in tumor-bearing rats. Cimaterol was administered to tumor-bearing rats receiving total parenteral nutrition or enteral nutrition for 10 days, beginning 2 weeks after subcutaneous transplantation of methylcholanthrene sarcoma. A significant increase occurred in both muscle weight and muscle protein in animals receiving cimaterol in conjunction with either enteral or parenteral feeding, compared to food fed tumor-bearing animals. Muscle protein content was increased significantly by 16% in cimaterol-treated rats maintained on parenteral nutrition and by 11% in cimaterol-treated enterally fed rats compared with the respective tumor-bearing controls. Urinary concentrations of 3-methylhistidine, an estimation of muscle turnover or catabolism, were significantly reduced in both tumor-bearing groups treated with cimaterol compared to 3-methylhistidine levels of the untreated tumor-bearing groups. The anabolic effects of cimaterol were expressed in the presence of a large tumor burden resulting in reversal of muscle depletion and muscle breakdown regardless of the route of supplemental nutrition. Thus, beta 2-agonists may be considered as a possible therapy for cancer cachexia.
Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, OH 45267-0558.
A
A
Stallion
F S
FS
Zhang
W T
WT
Chance
T
T
Foley-Nelson
J E
JE
Fischer
D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002100:Cachexia / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000150:complications*; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D004983:Ethanolamines; C047411:cimaterol