, Cancer-induced anorexia in tumor-bearing mice is dependent on cyclooxygenase-1, 2013, Brain, behavior, and immunity, (29)
AbstractIt is well-established that prostaglandins (PGs) affect tumorigenesis, and evidence indicates that PGs also are important for the reduced food intake and body weight loss, the anorexiacachexia syndrome, in malignant cancer. However, the identity of the PGs and the PG producing cyclooxygenase (COX) species responsible for cancer anorexia-cachexia is unknown. Here, we addressed this issue by transplanting mice with a tumor that elicits anorexia. Meal pattern analysis revealed that the anorexia in the tumor-bearing was due to decreased meal frequency. Treatment with a non-selective COX inhibitor attenuated the anorexia, and also tumor growth. When given at manifest anorexia, non-selective COXinhibitors restored appetite and prevented body weight loss without affecting tumor size.Despite COX-2 induction in the cerebral blood vessels of tumor-bearing mice, a selective COX-2 inhibitor had no effect on the anorexia, whereas selective COX-1 inhibition delayed its onset. Tumor growth was associated with robust increase of PGE 2 levels in plasma -a response blocked both by non-selective COX-inhibition and by selective COX-1 inhibition, but not by COX-2 inhibition. However, there was no increase in PGE 2 -levels in the cerebrospinal fluid. Neutralization of plasma PGE 2 with specific antibodies did not ameliorate the anorexia, and genetic deletion of microsomal PGE synthase-1 (mPGES-1), affected neither anorexia nor tumor growth. Furthermore, tumor-bearing mice lacking EP 4 receptors selectively in the nervous system developed anorexia. These observations suggest that COXenzymes, most likely COX-1, are involved in cancer-elicited anorexia and weight loss, but that these phenomena occur independently of host mPGES-1, PGE 2 and neuronal EP 4 signaling.