title: L-Carnitine: an adequate supplement for a multi-targeted anti-wasting therapy in cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tumour growth is associated with weight loss resulting from both adipose and muscle wasting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Administration of L-carnitine (1 g/kg body weight) to rats bearing the AH-130 Yoshida ascites hepatoma, a highly cachectic rat tumour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The treatment results in a significant improvement of food intake and in muscle weight (gastrocnemius, EDL and soleus). These beneficial effects are directly related to improved physical performance (total physical activity, mean movement velocity and total travelled distance). Administration of L-carnitine decreases proteasome activity and the expression of genes related with this activity, such as ubiquitin, C8 proteasome subunit and MuRF-1. Interestingly, L-carnitine treatment also decreases caspase-3 mRNA content therefore suggesting a modulation of apoptosis. Moreover, addition of 50 μM of L-carnitine to isolated EDL muscles results in a significant decrease in the proteolytic rate suggesting a direct effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It can be concluded that L-carnitine supplementation may be a good approach for a multi-targeted therapy for the treatment of cancer-related cachexia.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. silviabusquets@ub.edu
authors.forename: Sílvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Busquets
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Serpe
authors.forename: Míriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toledo
authors.forename: Angélica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Betancourt
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marmonti
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orpí
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pin
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Capdevila
authors.forename: Clelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Madeddu
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: López-Soriano
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mantovani
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Macciò
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Argilés
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002100:Cachexia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D002331:Carnitine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D025801:Ubiquitin; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D002331:Carnitine