Dihydroartemisinin ameliorates skeletal muscle atrophy in the lung cancer cachexia mouse model.

INTRODUCTION

Cancer cachexia (CC) is characterized by weight loss with specifically reduced skeletal muscles and adipose tissues in patients with late-stage cancer. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), an effective antimalarial derivative of artemisinin, has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory and antitumor properties.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study examined the effects of DHA on the Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC)-induced CC mouse model.

RESULTS

DHA treatment significantly increases tumor-free body weight and food intake but decreases serum interleukin-6 level and tumor weight in CC mice. In addition, DHA treatment relieves muscle atrophy and decreases muscle ring finger 1 (MuRF1) and F-box-only protein 32 (Fbx32) expressions in CC mice. In vitro, DHA reverses the reduction in myotube formation induced by an LLC-conditioned medium and increases Fbx32 expression in C2C12 mouse myotubular cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that DHA ameliorates the cachectic state and skeletal muscle atrophy in LLC-induced cachectic mouse models, suggesting its therapeutic potential for CC.