Baicalin supplementation reduces serum biomarkers of skeletal muscle wasting and may protect against lean body mass reduction in cancer patients: Results from a pilot open-label study.
OBJECTIVE
Muscle wasting in patients with cancer has been linked to an increased activity of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and higher circulating levels of activin-A (ActA), a negative growth factor for muscle mass. Baicalin is a natural flavonoid that can reduce skeletal muscle atrophy in animal models of cancer cachexia by inhibiting NF-κB. This pilot open-label study assessed the effects of baicalin supplementation (50 mg daily for 3 months) in cancer patients who showed involuntary weight loss >5% over the past 6 months.


METHODS
A total of 20 patients were investigated. Participants were evaluated at baseline and at the end of the 3-month study period for the following endpoints: 1) changes from baseline in serum NF-κB and ActA levels; and 2) change from baseline in lean body mass (LBM).


RESULTS
We observed significant reduction in both NF-κB (p<0.05) and ActA (p<0.05) serum levels from baseline to 3 months. At 3 months, patients also showed a significant mean increase in LBM (+0.8 kg, p<0.05 compared with baseline).


CONCLUSIONS
Our pilot open-label data suggest that baicalin supplementation is potentially useful for contrasting lean body mass reduction in cancer patients with involuntary weight loss, an effect which is likely mediated by the inhibition of negative growth factors for muscle mass.
2E Science, Robbio (PV), Italy.
Enzo
E
Emanuele
2E Science, Robbio (PV), Italy.
Marco
M
Bertona
European University of Madrid, Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre ("i+12"), Madrid, Spain.
Helios
H
Pareja-Galeano
Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain.
Carmen
C
Fiuza-Luces
European University of Madrid, Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre ("i+12"), Madrid, Spain.
Javier Salvador
JS
Morales
Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain.
Fabian
F
Sanchis-Gomar
European University of Madrid, Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre ("i+12"), Madrid, Spain.
Alejandro
A
Lucia
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D028341:Activins / Q000097:blood; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002100:Cachexia; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000097:blood; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019282:Wasting Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects
D015415:Biomarkers; D005419:Flavonoids; D016328:NF-kappa B; C422405:activin A; D028341:Activins; C038044:baicalin