[HTML][HTML] Osteolytic breast cancer causes skeletal muscle weakness in an immunocompetent syngeneic mouse model

JN Regan, C Mikesell, S Reiken, H Xu… - Frontiers in …, 2017 - frontiersin.org
JN Regan, C Mikesell, S Reiken, H Xu, AR Marks, KS Mohammad, TA Guise, DL Waning
Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2017frontiersin.org
Muscle weakness and cachexia are significant paraneoplastic syndromes of many
advanced cancers. Osteolytic bone metastases are common in advanced breast cancer and
are a major contributor to decreased survival, performance, and quality of life for patients.
Pathologic fracture caused by osteolytic cancer in bone (OCIB) leads to a significant (32%)
increased risk of death compared to patients without fracture. Since muscle weakness is
linked to risk of falls which are a major cause of fracture, we have investigated skeletal …
Muscle weakness and cachexia are significant paraneoplastic syndromes of many advanced cancers. Osteolytic bone metastases are common in advanced breast cancer and are a major contributor to decreased survival, performance, and quality of life for patients. Pathologic fracture caused by osteolytic cancer in bone (OCIB) leads to a significant (32%) increased risk of death compared to patients without fracture. Since muscle weakness is linked to risk of falls which are a major cause of fracture, we have investigated skeletal muscle response to OCIB. Here, we show that a syngeneic mouse model of OCIB (4T1 mammary tumor cells) leads to cachexia and skeletal muscle weakness associated with oxidation of the ryanodine receptor and calcium (Ca2+) release channel (RyR1). Muscle atrophy follows known pathways via both myostatin signaling and expression of muscle-specific ubiquitin ligases, atrogin-1 and MuRF1. We have identified a mechanism for skeletal muscle weakness due to increased oxidative stress on RyR1 via NAPDH oxidases [NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2) and NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4)]. In addition, SMAD3 phosphorylation is higher in muscle from tumor-bearing mice, a critical step in the intracellular signaling pathway that transmits TGFβ signaling to the nucleus. This is the first time that skeletal muscle weakness has been described in a syngeneic model of OCIB and represents a unique model system in which to study cachexia and changes in skeletal muscle.
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