Cancer-associated anorexia and cachexia are a multifactorial condition described by a loss of body weight and muscle with anorexia, asthenia, and anemia. Moreover, they correlate with a high mortality rate, poor response to chemotherapy, poor performance status, and poor quality of life. Cancer cachexia is regulated by proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). In addition, glucagon like peptide-1 (GIP-1), peptide YY (PYY), ghrelin, and leptin plays a crucial role in food intake. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of one of the traditional herbal medicines, Sipjeondaebo-tang (Juzen-taiho-to in Japanese; SJDBT), on cancer anorexia and cachexia in a fundamental mouse cancer anorexia/cachexia model, CT-26 tumor-bearing mice. SJDBT was more significantly effective in a treatment model where it was treated after anorexia and cachexia than in a prevention model where it was treated before anorexia and cachexia on the basis of parameters such as weights of muscles and whole body and food intakes. Moreover, SJDBT inhibited a production of IL-6, MCP-1, PYY, and GLP-1 and ameliorated cancer-induced anemia. Therefore, our in vivo studies provide evidence on the role of SJDBT in cancer-associated anorexia and cachexia, thereby suggesting that SJDBT may be useful for treating cancer-associated anorexia and cachexia.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding patterns of concentrates on growth performance, blood parameters and carcass characteristics in Hanwoo cows. Randomly-allocated groups, restricted concentrate feeding (T1), restricted concentrate feeding for 6 months and ad libitum 2 months (T2), restricted concentrate feeding for 4 months and ad libitum 4 months (T3), were contained with 9 animals. According to feeding patterns of concentrate, growth performance was not significantly different among the treatment groups. However, ADG tended to be higher in T2 group (0.75 kg/d) compared to the other groups (T1: 0.62 kg/d, T3: 0.72 kg/d). DMI was not significantly different among the treatment groups, interestingly, rice straw intake was significantly higher in T1 group compared with others (p<0.05). There were significant difference among feed conversion ratio, which are 17.8, 12.8, and 14.1 kg for T1, T2, and T3 (p<0.05), respectively. The serum level of albumin, triglyceride, glucose and GPT were greater in T3 group compared to other groups at fattening 6 to 8 months (p<0.05). The results of yield traits, carcass weight, back fat thickness and rib eye area were not differ among treatment groups, but yield index was significantly greater in T2 group compared to T1 group (p<0.05). The 'A' appearance rate (%) of meat yield grade was highest in T2 group for 78%. The marbling score, meat color, fat color, texture and maturity in quality traits were not differ among the treatment groups. However, marbling score and appearance rate (%) of over 1st meat quality grade were tend to be increased at T3 rather (4.0, 56%) group compared with other groups (T1: 3.4, 56%; T2: 3.6, 33%). Thus, the present study suggested that restricted concentrate feeding (1.6% of BW) for 4 months during early fattening periods and ad libitum feeding for 4 months during late fattening periods are recommendable.

No abstract