Open AccessIntramyocellular lipid droplets increase with progression of cachexia in cancer patients
Author(s) -
Stephens Nathan A.,
Skipworth Richard J. E.,
MacDonald Alisdair J.,
Greig Carolyn A.,
Ross James A.,
Fearon Kenneth C. H.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.803
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 2190-6009
pISSN - 2190-5991
DOI - 10.1007/s13539-011-0030-x
Subject(s) - lipid droplet , adipose tissue , medicine , endocrinology , cancer , cachexia , weight loss , lipid metabolism , lipid profile , skeletal muscle , chemistry , diabetes mellitus , obesity
Background Intramyocellular lipids are an important source of fuel for mitochondrial fat oxidation and play an important role in intramuscular lipid homeostasis. We hypothesised that due to the phenotype associated with cancer cachexia, there would exist an association between increasing weight loss and the number/size of intramyocellular lipid droplets. Methods Nineteen cancer patients and 6 controls undergoing surgery were recruited. A rectus abdominis biopsy was performed and processed for transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The number of intramyocellular lipid droplets and lipid droplet diameter were calculated from the TEM images. CT scans, performed as part of patients' routine care, were analysed to determine amount of adipose (intermuscular, visceral and subcutaneous) and muscle tissue. Results Compared with controls, cancer patients had increased numbers of lipid droplets (mean (SD) 1.8 (1.9) vs. 6.4 (9.1) per ×2,650 field, respectively, p = 0.036). Mean (SD) lipid droplet diameter was also higher in cancer patients compared with controls (0.42 (0.13) vs. 0.24 (0.21) μm, p = 0.015). Mean lipid droplet count correlated positively with the severity of weight loss ( R = 0.51, p = 0.025) and negatively with CT‐derived measures of intermuscular fat ( R = −0.53, p = 0.022) and visceral fat ( R = −0.51, p = 0.029). Conclusions This study suggests that the number and size of intramyocellular lipid droplets is increased in the presence of cancer and increases further with weight loss/loss of adipose mass in other body compartments.