The Role of Central Melanocortins in Cachexia

摘要: Cachexia is a clinical syndrome of wasting that accompanies many chronic diseases including cancer, renal failure, and heart failure. This condition marked by an increase in energy expenditure preferential loss lean body mass, creating striking catabolic state. contrasts with starvation, state which decreases muscle mass maintained while fat stores are consumed. In contrast, cachexia accompanied paradoxical anorexia occurs despite ongoing weight negative calorie balance. appetite significant component the decreased quality life experienced patients cachexia. Few treatments have proved to be benefit suffering from One new treatment shows promise pharmacologic blockade central melanocortin system. The importance this system maintaining normal humans highlighted finding disordered signaling results early-onset morbid obesity dramatic increases humans. Emerging evidence suggests blocking via antagonists type 4 receptor (MC4R) may restore subjects caused variety underlying disorders. review will focus on current pathophysiologic mechanisms involved outline pathway as pertaining these summarize early animal data using MC4R treat