microRNA expression in gastrocnemicus muscle of control, SB431542 treated and cachectic mice

Cancer mediated activation of the ActRIIB-ALK4/5 heterodimer by myostatin is strongly associated with muscle wasting. Progressive skeletal muscle wasting, with or without loss of adipose tissue, is observed in up to 50 per cent of all cancer patients. This multifactorial syndrome is known as cachexia, and cannot be fully reversed by conventional nutritional support. Cachexia leads to progressive functional impairment. We investigated in vitro and in vivo the efficacy of ALK4/5 receptor blockers like SB431542 in preventing muscle wasting and in this context determined muscle-related miRNA expression profiles in non-tumor bearing control mice, in SB431542 treated C26 tumor-bearing mice and in cachectic C26 tumor-bearing mice. The miRNA expression profile was determined in the gastrocnemicus muscles of non-tumor bearing control mice (n=4, control), of tumor bearing SB431542 treated mice (n=3, SB431542 treated) and of tumor bearing cachetic mice (n=4, cachectic). The miRNA expression of each muscle sample was analyzed in duplicate.