ArticleJournal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle2016
Megestrol acetate improves cardiac function in a model of cancer cachexia-induced cardiomyopathy by autophagic modulation.
Article in Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.
- Megestrol acetate for cachexia-anorexia syndrome. A systematic review.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2018Pooled it
- Chemotherapy-induced cachexia dysregulates hypothalamic and systemic lipoamines and is attenuated by cannabigerol.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2019Trial
- The intersection of colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease: shared mechanisms and clinical implications.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026Review
- Combined Bisoprolol and Megestrol Acetate Improves Survival and Preserves Cardiac Performance in a Rat Model of Cancer Cachexia.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2026Article
- Megestrol acetate in the management of cancer cachexia: a prospective quasi-experimental study focusing on body composition and patient-reported outcomes.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Non-cell autonomous autophagy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A new promising target?Neurobiology of disease · 2026Review
- The Role of High-SensitivityNutrients · 2025Article
- Molecular mechanisms underlying sarcopenia in heart failure.The journal of cardiovascular aging · 2024Article
- The Pleiotropic Role of Extracellular ATP in Myocardial Remodelling.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Pathophysiological Aspects of Muscle Atrophy and Osteopenia Induced by Chronic Constriction Injury (CCI) of the Sciatic Nerve in Rats.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
- Cardiac Remodeling in Cancer-Induced Cachexia: Functional, Structural, and Metabolic Contributors.Cells · 2022Review
- Review
- Review
- The Role of Autophagy Modulated by Exercise in Cancer Cachexia.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Thbs1 induces lethal cardiac atrophy through PERK-ATF4 regulated autophagy.Nature communications · 2021Article
- Exosomal microRNAs in cancer-related sarcopenia: Tumor-derived exosomal microRNAs in muscle atrophy.Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.) · 2021Review
- Understanding the common mechanisms of heart and skeletal muscle wasting in cancer cachexia.Oncogenesis · 2021Review
- Swimming Attenuates Muscle Wasting and Mediates Multiple Signaling Pathways and Metabolites in CT-26 Bearing Mice.Frontiers in molecular biosciences · 2021Article
- Advances in cancer cachexia: Intersection between affected organs, mediators, and pharmacological interventions.Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer · 2020Review
- Bergamot Polyphenols Improve Dyslipidemia and Pathophysiological Features in a Mouse Model of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.Scientific reports · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCachexia is a complex metabolic syndrome associated with cancer. One of the features of cachexia is the loss of muscle mass, characterized by an imbalance between protein synthesis and protein degradation. Muscle atrophy is caused by the hyperactivation of some of the main cellular catabolic pathways, including autophagy. Cachexia also affects the cardiac muscle. As a consequence of the atrophy of the heart, cardiac function is impaired and mortality is increased. Anti-cachectic therapy in patients with cancer cachexia is so far limited to nutritional support and anabolic steroids. The use of the appetite stimulant megestrol acetate (MA) has been discussed as a treatment for cachexia.
methodsIn this study the effects of MA were tested in cachectic tumour-bearing rats (Yoshida AH-130 ascites hepatoma). Rats were treated daily with 100 mg/kg of MA or placebo starting one day after tumour inoculation, and for a period of 16 days. Body weight and body composition were assessed at baseline and at the end of the study. Cardiac function was analysed by echocardiography at baseline and at day 11. Locomotor activity and food intake were assessed before tumour inoculation and at day 11. Autophagic markers were assessed in gastrocnemius muscle and heart by western blot analysis.
resultsTreatment with 100 mg/kg/day MA significantly attenuated the loss of body weight (-9 ± 12%,
conclusionsMegestrol acetate improved survival and reduced wasting through a marked downregulation of autophagy, occurring in both skeletal and heart muscle, the latter effect leading to a significant improvement of cardiac function. Our data suggest that MA might represent a valuable strategy to counteract the development of cancer cachexia-induced cardiomyopathy.
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