Protein metabolism in cachectic tumor-bearing rats: effect of tumor excision

The Journal of Surgical Research
T Le BriconV E Baracos

Abstract

The effect of tumor resection on protein metabolism in cancer-bearing subjects is poorly documented. We explored changes in nitrogen (N) and protein metabolism after excision of tumors both at the whole body level (N balance) and at the tissue level, including skeletal muscle, small intestine, and liver. Sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats (approximately 375 g) bearing subcutaneous Morris hepatoma 7777 for 6 weeks were either operated for tumor excision and studied for 10 days postoperatively (n = 10) or sacrificed on the day of surgery as tumor-bearing controls; operated and unoperated tumor-bearing rats were compared with healthy rats (n = 16). Tumors, which grew to a mass of 74 +/- 7 g (mean +/- SEM), induced significant loss of body mass (-27 +/- 13 g) and protein depletion in epitrochlearis muscle (EPI) (-38%) and small intestine (-42%) vs healthy rats. Tumor significantly decreased muscle protein synthesis vs healthy rats (7.14 +/- 0.5 vs 10.7 +/- 0.5 nmol phenylalanine (Phe)/EPI/3 hr), net degradation (21.7 +/- 2.9 vs 30.6 +/- 2.5 nmol Phe/EPI/3 hr) and degradation (28.8 +/- 2.7 vs 41.4 +/- 2.5 nmol Phe/EPI/3 hr). In 50% of operated rats, tumor removal was followed immediately by increased food intake, body weight, and N ba...Continue Reading

Citations

May 7, 2014·Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism = Physiologie Appliquée, Nutrition Et Métabolisme·Fábio Santos LiraMarília Seelaender
May 14, 2004·Research in Nursing & Health·Donna O McCarthySadeeka Al-Majid
Jan 16, 1999·The Journal of Surgical Research·M VarmaH J Kim

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