Summary
Cachexia is a common manifestation of advanced cancer and frequently contributes to physical disability and mortality. An increased metabolic rate has been suggested to be one of the causes of cancer-induced cachexia, although the mechanisms producing this hypermetabolism remain unclear. The presence and activation of brown adipose tissue, a highly thermogenic tissue, may result in a hypermetabolic state and be partially responsible for weight loss in cancer patients. To investigate this hypothesis, we examined necropsy samples of peri-adrenal tissues using light microscopy to identify the prevalence of brown adipose tissue in 25 cachectic patients who died from cancer and 15 age-matched subjects who died from other illnesses. Brown adipose tissue was observed in 20 of the cancer patients (80%) compared to 2 of the age-matched subjects (13%). Therefore, our preliminary results indicate that a high prevalence of brown adipose tissue is associated with cancer-induced cachexia and may reflect an abnormal mechanism responsible for profound energy expenditure and weight loss.
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Supported in part by NIH-NHLBI, NRSA, PHS-2271 & HL07338-05
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Shellock, F.G., Riedinger, M.S. & Fishbein, M.C. Brown adipose tissue in cancer patients: Possible cause of cancer-induced cachexia. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 111, 82–85 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402783
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402783