E. Lyden et al., EFFECTS OF NANDROLONE PROPIONATE ON EXPERIMENTAL TUMOR-GROWTH AND CANCER CACHEXIA, Metabolism, clinical and experimental, 44(4), 1995, pp. 445-451
We studied the tumor host response to excessive doses of an anabolic s
teroid (nandrolone propionate, 2.5 mg 20 g intraperitoneally every sec
ond day for 11 days) with respect to body composition and tumor cell k
inetics in MCG 101 sarcoma-bearing mice (C57BL/6J) with progressive ca
chexia. Although survival and food intake were not affected, a signifi
cant weight gain was observed that was essentially attributed to water
retention. Net protein content was increased only to a minor extent (
15%), of which only the liver accounted for a significant part of the
body compartments. Hepatic protein accumulation was obviously caused b
y decreased protein degradation, since hepatic RNA content was unchang
ed. After anabolic steroid administration, reduced histochemical stain
ing of succinate dehydrogenase was observed in skeletal muscles rich i
n oxidative type 1 fibers, but it was not different from that of tumor
-bearing control animals, which was also confirmed by measurements of
citrate synthase and cytochrome c oxidase activities in skeletal muscl
e and liver tissue. The anabolic steroid had no significant effect on
tumor growth in terms of weight progression, energy state, polyamine s
ynthesis rate, cell division rate, and cell cycle cytocompartments. We
conclude that anabolic steroid supplementation is not therapeutically
beneficial in counteracting progressive weight loss in experimental c
ancer. Copyright (C) 1995 by W.B. Saunders Company