Dynamics of cachexia-associated inflammatory changes in the brain accompanying intra-abdominal fibrosarcoma growth in Wistar rats

Accumulated data indicate that inflammation affecting brain structures participates in the development of cancer-related cachexia. However, the mechanisms responsible for the induction and progression of cancer -related neuroinflammation are still not fully understood. Therefore, we studied the time-course of neuro-inflammation in selected brain structures and cachexia development in tumor-bearing rats. After tumor cells inoculation, specifically on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of tumor growth, we assessed the presence of cancer-associated cachexia in rats. Changes in gene expression of inflammatory factors were studied in selected regions of the hypothalamus, brain stem, and circumventricular organs. We showed that the initial stages of cancer growth (7th and 14th day after tumor cells inoculation), are not associated with cachexia, or increased expression of inflammatory molecules in the brain. Even when we did not detect cachexia in tumor-bearing rats by the 21st day of the experiment, the inflammatory brain reaction had already started, as we found elevated levels of interleukin 1 beta, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and glial fibrillary acidic protein mRNA levels in the nucleus of the solitary tract. Furthermore, we found increased interleukin 1 beta expression in the locus coeruleus and higher allograft inflammatory factor 1 expression in the vascular organ of lamina terminalis. Ultimately, the most pronounced manifestations of tumor growth were present on the 28th day post-inoculation of tumor cells. In these animals, we detected cancer-related cachexia and significant increases in interleukin 1 beta expression in all brain areas studied. We also observed significantly decreased expression of the glial cell activation markers allograft inflammatory factor 1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein in most brain areas of cachectic rats. In addition, we showed increased expression of cluster of differentiation 163 and cyclooxygenase 2 mRNA in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, A1/C1 neurons, and area postrema of cachectic rats. Our data indicate that cancer-related cachexia is associated with complex neuroinflammatory changes in the brain. These changes can be found in both hypothalamic as well as extrahypothalamic structures, while their extent and character depend on the stage of tumor growth.