Growth hormone administration preserves lean body mass in sarcoma-bearing rats treated with doxorubicin

Cachexia and malnutrition play a significant role in the morbidity associated with antineoplastic chemotherapy regimens. Conventional nutritional support during cancer therapy has shown little benefit in terms of reducing morbidity and mortality. We examined the anabolic properties of growth hormone (GH) that preserve normal body composition in sarcoma-bearing animals treated with doxorubicin. On day 0, 40 male Fischer 344 rats were inoculated with 10(6) methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma cells s.c. in the left flank. On day 9, animals were randomized into 3 groups: control (CTL, n = 13); doxorubicin (DOX, n = 13); and doxorubicin plus GH (DOX-GH, n = 14). Two CTL animals were excluded due to tumor invasion into the peritoneal cavity. From day 9 to day 23, the DOX-GH group received daily s.c. recombinant rat GH injection (1 mg/kg). On day 13, DOX and DOX-GH groups received 7 mg/kg of DOX i.v. while the CTL group received sham i.v. sterile saline injection. Body weight and tumor dimensions were measured daily. On day 23, all animals were weighed and sacrificed. Tumors were resected and weighed. Body composition analysis was performed. Plasma GH levels were measured by radioimmunoassay and insulin growth factor 1 levels were measured by chondrocyte proliferation bioassay. The DOX-GH group had a significantly higher mean body weight, carcass weight, total fat free body mass, insulin growth factor 1, and GH plasma levels as compared to the DOX group. No difference in total food intake was observed between the DOX and DOX-GH groups. There was no difference in final tumor weight and tumor growth rate between DOX and DOX-GH groups. Exogenous growth hormone can attenuate weight loss and preserve host body composition in tumor-bearing rats treated with doxorubicin without stimulating tumor growth.