title: Stimulation of the nicotine antiinflammatory pathway improves food intake and body composition in tumor-bearing rats.
abstract: Inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome. Nicotine administration reduces cytokine levels and mortality during sepsis. Therefore, nicotine administration may result in improved anorexia-cachexia. Sixteen male Fischer rats inoculated with MCA sarcoma were assigned to random injections of nicotine (NIC; 200 mg/kg BW/d) or saline (C). Food intake (FI), body weight, body composition, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 levels were evaluated. Data were analyzed via Student's t-test for paired and unpaired data and ANOVA. FI started declining 12 days after tumor inoculation both in C and NIC rats, but the decline was significantly attenuated by nicotine administration. At the end of the study, lean body mass wasting was more severe in C rats than in NIC rats (P<0.05), whereas a trend toward attenuation of fat mass depletion was observed. IL-1 circulating levels were significantly lower in NIC rats than in C rats (114±21 pg/mL vs. 190±35 pg/mL, respectively; P<0.01), whereas the reduction of IL-6 levels in NIC rats was only marginally not significant when compared to C rats (555±174 pg/mL vs. 721±160 pg/mL, respectively; P=0.06). Our data suggest that the nicotinic antiinflammatory pathway may represent an interesting and possibly effective therapy for anorexia-cachexia syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Molfino
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Logorelli
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Citro
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertini
authors.forename: Cesarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ramaccini
authors.forename: Maria Rosa
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bollea
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi Fanelli
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laviano
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000855:Anorexia / Q000378:metabolism; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight; D002100:Cachexia / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D009538:Nicotine