Caperuto Erico Chagas, Tomatieli Ronaldo Vagner, Colquhoun Alison, Seelaender Marília Cerqueira Leite, Costa Rosa Luis Fernando Bicudo Pereira
Biomedical Sciences Institute, Cell Biology and Development, Lineu Prestes Av. 1524 ICB 1 Room 430, 05508-900 Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Clin Nutr. 2007 Feb;26(1):117-22. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2006.05.007. Epub 2006 Oct 2.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Cancer cachexia affects intermediary metabolism with intense and general catabolism. Walker 256 tumor is a model injected either subcutaneously (Sc) or intraperitoneally (Ip), with different metabolic features. Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMbeta) is a leucine metabolite with anti-catabolic properties, the aim of this study being to investigate its effects on metabolic parameters in both tumor models.
Controls (subcutaneous control group (ScC) and intraperitoneal control group (IpC)) and supplemented animals (subcutaneous supplemented group (ScS) and intraperitoneal supplemented group (IpS)) showed these results.
Protein Sc values were (47.8%) lower than Ip groups. Sc group fat content was (65.16%) higher than Ip groups. Liver glycogen value for Sc groups was (38.4%) higher than Ip groups. Muscle glycogen value for Sc groups were (2.75 times) higher than Ip groups. Corticosterone and insulin values were lower (44.53%) and higher (45.94%), respectively, in Sc when compared with Ip groups. Glucose and lactate values for ScS were the lowest (61.7% and 41.53%) compared to other groups. ScC glutamine value was the highest (40.8%) of all groups. Glutamate Sc values were (42.65%) lower than Ip groups. Sc groups showed greater survival time compared with Ip groups. ScS group showed 100% increase in survival time when compared with ScC.
HMbeta supplementation can increase survival time and promotes metabolic changes in cancer-bearing animals, but it seems to work in a time-dependent manner.
