Comparative Transcriptomic Profiling of Organs Associated With Metabolic Dysfunction in Cancer-Induced Cachexia

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Approximately 50–80% of cancer patients suffer from cachexia represented by weight loss mainly due to loss of skeletal muscle. Cancer-induced cachexia is a complex metabolic syndrome associated with not only systemic inflammation but also perturbations to energy metabolism. In this study, we profiled gene expression patterns of different organs in CT-26 tumor bearing mice in order to understand metabolic dysfunction in cancer cachexia. Methods The transcriptomic profiles of skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and liver of CT26-tumor bearing mice were generated using SurePrint G3 Mouse Gene Expression 8 × 60 K v2 (Agilent, Inc.). Functional and network analyses were performed using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (QIAGEN). Results We identified 299, 508, and 1,311 genes differentially regulated in skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and liver, respectively. In the skeletal muscle, lipid biosynthetic process and mitochondrial electron transport were negatively regulated and network involved in glutamine metabolism was up-regulated. In adipose tissue, tricarboxylic acid cycle was down-regulated and lipid metabolism was associated with several genes including Thrsp, Plvap, and Sphk1. In the liver, regulation of gluconeogenesis was down-regulated, while production of lactic acid and uptake of D-glucose were related with H6pd and Pkm whose expression was up-regulated during cancer cachexia. Furthermore, the top network matched by genes commonly up-regulated in all organs included Bcl3, Csf2rb, Fcgr2a, and Lilrb3, which are known to be associated with inflammation and muscle wasting. Conclusions Our data suggest that skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and liver present distinct gene expression profiles associated with inflammation and energy metabolism and several genes up-regulated in all organs might be candidate biomarkers for the prevention and early detection of cancer cachexia. Funding Sources This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education.