Cancer Affects Heart Nerves and Muscle Cells in Mice
Author Information
Author(s): Mühlfeld Christian, Das Suman Kumar, Heinzel Frank R., Schmidt Albrecht, Post Heiner, Schauer Silvia, Papadakis Tamara, Kummer Wolfgang, Hoefler Gerald
Primary Institution: Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
Hypothesis
Cancer cachexia is associated with qualitative and/or quantitative structural alterations of the myocardial innervation.
Conclusion
Cancer induces a systemic pro-inflammatory state, a significant reduction in myocardial innervation, and a catabolic phenotype of cardiomyocytes in the mouse.
Supporting Evidence
- Mice with cancer lost weight while control mice gained weight.
- Serum levels of TNF-α and Il-6 were significantly elevated in tumor-bearing mice.
- The total length of axons in the left ventricle was reduced by about 50% in tumor-bearing mice.
- Cardiomyocytes in tumor-bearing mice showed decreased myofibrillar volume and increased lipid droplets.
Takeaway
When mice have cancer, their heart nerves and muscle cells change in a way that can make the heart work differently, even if it looks normal at rest.
Methodology
Mice were injected with Lewis lung carcinoma cells or PBS and analyzed after 21 days for cardiac function, serum cytokine levels, structural alterations of cardiomyocytes, and innervation.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in the interpretation of results due to the specific mouse model used.
Limitations
The study was conducted in a mouse model, which may not fully replicate human cancer cachexia.
Participant Demographics
Female C57BL/6J mice, 8-9 weeks old.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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