Exercise attenuates cisplatin-induced anorexia-cachexia via modulation of hypothalamic inflammation and orexigenic...

Chemotherapy-induced anorexia cachexia (CAC) is a common adverse effect of cancer treatment and is associated with poor prognosis and reduced treatment tolerance. Despite its clinical relevance, effective interventions targeting central mechanisms of CAC remain limited. This study investigated whether aerobic exercise modulates hypothalamic appetite regulation and inflammatory signaling in a mouse model of cisplatin-induced CAC.

Eight-week-old C57BL/6 mice were assigned to a normal control (CON, n = 7), cisplatin-treated sedentary (CIS-CON, n = 7), or cisplatin-treated exercise group (CIS-EXE, n = 7). CAC was induced by daily intraperitoneal cisplatin administration (3.5 mg/kg). The CIS-EXE group performed treadmill running (14-16 m/min, 45 min/session, three times per week) for 12 weeks.

Exercise attenuated cisplatin-induced reductions in food intake; however, final body weight was not significantly different between CIS-CON and CIS-EXE groups. In the hypothalamus, exercise increased mRNA expression of the orexigenic neuropeptides neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related protein (AgRP), while suppressing the expression of anorexigenic markers cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC). In addition, exercise significantly reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and NF-κB. These effects were accompanied by increased AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity and downregulation of protein kinase B (Akt) signaling.

In conclusion, the findings suggest that exercise provides a potential therapeutic strategy for CAC, at least in part via increasing neuropeptide and inhibiting pro-inflammatory in the hypothalamus.