Curcumin and resveratrol improve muscle function and structure through attenuation of proteolytic markers in experimental cancer-induced cachexia

Abstract

Muscle wasting and cachexia are prominent comorbidities in cancer. Treatment with polyphenolic compounds may partly revert muscle wasting. We hypothesized that treatment with curcumin or resveratrol in cancer cachectic mice may improve muscle phenotype and total body weight through attenuation of several proteolytic and signaling mechanisms in limb muscles. In gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of cancer cachectic mice (LP07 adenocarcinoma cells, N = 10/group): (1) LC-induced cachexia, (2) LC-cachexia+curcumin, and (3) LC-cachexia + resveratrol, muscle structure and damage (including blood troponin I), sirtuin-1, proteolytic markers, and signaling pathways (NF-κB and FoxO3) were explored (immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting). Compared to nontreated cachectic mice, in LC-cachexia + curcumin and LC-cachexia + resveratrol groups, body and muscle weights (gastrocnemius), limb muscle strength, muscle damage, and myofiber cross-sectional area improved, and in both muscles, sirtuin-1 increased, while proteolysis (troponin I), proteolytic markers, and signaling pathways were attenuated. Curcumin and resveratrol elicited beneficial effects on fast- and slow-twitch limb muscle phenotypes in cachectic mice through sirtuin-1 activation, attenuation of atrophy signaling pathways, and proteolysis in cancer cachectic mice. These findings have future therapeutic implications as these natural compounds, separately or in combination, may be used in clinical settings of muscle mass loss and dysfunction including cancer cachexia.