Doxorubicin causes cachexia, sarcopenia, and frailty characteristics in mice

by Paola Sanches Cella, Ricardo Lu ís Nascimento de Matos, Poliana Camila Marinello, Júlio Cesar da Costa, Felipe Arruda Moura, Ana Paula Frederico Rodrigues Loureiro Bracarense, Patricia Chimin, Rafael Deminice While chemotherapy treatment can be lifesaving, it also has adverse effects that negatively impact the quality of life. To investigate the effects of doxorubicin chemotherapy on body weight loss, strength and muscle mass loss, and physical function impairments, all key markers of cachexia, sarcope nia, and frailty. Seventeen C57/BL/6 mice were allocated into groups. 1) Control (n = 7): mice were exposed to intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of saline solution. 2) Dox (n = 10): mice were exposed to doxorubicin chemotherapy cycles (total dose of 18 mg/kg divided over 15 days). The body weight lo ss and decreased food intake were monitored to assess cachexia. To assess sarcopenia, we measured muscle strength loss using a traction method and evaluated muscle atrophy through histology of the gastrocnemius muscle. To evaluate physical function impairments and assess frailty, we employed the ope n field test to measure exploratory capacity. Doxorubicin administration led to the development of cachexia, as evidenced by a significant body weight loss (13%) and a substantial decrease in food intake (34%) over a 15-day period. Furthermore, 90% of the mice treated with doxorubicin exhibited sarc openia, characterized by a 20% reduction in traction strength (p
Source: PLoS One - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Source Type: research