Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0013911 (emaciation)
 1,059 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cachexia in cancer is characterized by progressive emaciation involving depletion of host adipose tissue stores, the molecular mechanism of which remains largely unknown. In this study, we have attempted to clarify the biologic characteristics of lipid-depleting factor in a mouse cachexia model. Utilizing differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, we established an assay method quantifying the lipid-depleting activity in plasma derived from colon-26-inoculated mice and then analyzed the associated molecular mechanism. Injection (s.c.) of a mouse colon adenocarcinoma cell line, colon-26 clone 20, induced cachexia, as evidenced by progressive weight loss. Addition of clone 20-derived cachexigenic, but not clone 5-derived noncachexigenic, plasma to the culture medium of differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes reduced the TG content in cultured cells. The ability of the introduced plasma to induce TG loss in 3T3-L1 cells paralleled the body weight changes of tumor-inoculated host mice. Clone 20 plasma, but not clone 5 plasma or recombinant IL-6, elicited lipolytic activity, which induced glycerol release from 3T3-L1 cells. Addition of clone 20 plasma to cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes reduced TG synthesis from [(14)C]-glucose compared to clone 5 plasma, indicating that the lipid-depleting activity resulting from addition of clone 20 plasma depended not only on induction of lipolysis but also on inhibition of lipogenesis. Addition of clone 20 plasma to cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes reduced the quantity of mature SREBP-1 in the nucleus of 3T3-L1 cells without affecting PPAR-gamma and C/EBP-alpha. Although TNF-alpha induced apoptosis in 3T3-L1 cells, clone 20 plasma did not. These results suggest that the lipid-depleting factor in clone 20 plasma is different from either IL-6 or TNF-alpha, and that this factor interfered with not only lipolysis but also lipogenesis through SREBP-1 of 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
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PMID:Molecular analysis of lipid-depleting factor in a colon-26-inoculated cancer cachexia model. 1220 86

Harbor porpoises from the North and Baltic Seas exhibit a higher incidence of bacterial infections compared to whales from less polluted arctic waters. Toxicological analysis revealed an association between elevated body burdens of environmental contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) and lymphoid depletion in thymus and spleen of these whales. However, it remains undetermined if changes in the immune system are primarily contaminant-induced or a sequel of infectious diseases and emaciation. The aim of the present study was to investigate changes of blood cytokine mRNA levels in healthy and diseased harbor porpoises. Therefore, 29 by-caught and stranded whales were necropsied and the health status was evaluated based upon main pathological findings. Furthermore, the degree of thymic atrophy and splenic depletion was histologically graded using a semi-quantitative scoring system. Gene expression of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, transforming growth factor-beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the blood was measured by real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Thymic atrophy and splenic depletion were correlated with an impairment of the animals' health status. Additionally, a marked up-regulation of IL-10 was predominately found in severely diseased whales with evidence of chronic bacterial infections. Furthermore, increased IL-10 levels were associated with splenic depletion. Other investigated cytokines were not significantly associated with the health status or lymphoid depletion, respectively. The present study indicated that lymphoid depletion represents a sequel of chronic infectious diseases in a portion of investigated harbor porpoises. Regarding this, expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10 might represent a consequence of continuous stimulation of the immune system and induction of immunomodulatory mechanisms in this cetacean species.
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PMID:Increased blood interleukin-10 mRNA levels in diseased free-ranging harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). 1705 89