%0 Journal Article %T Formoterol May Activate Rat Muscle Regeneration During Cancer Cachexia %A Elisabet Ametller %A S¨Ēlvia Busquets %A Gemma Fuster %A Maria T. Figueras %J Insciences Journal %D 2011 %I Insciences Organisation %X PURPOSE: The development of cancer cachexia is the most common manifestation of advanced malignant disease. METHOD: The effects on muscle regeneration of 2-adrenoceptor agonist formoterol (0.3 mg/kg) were tested in cachectic tumour-bearing rats (Yoshida AH-130 ascites hepatoma). RESULTS: Administration of formoterol results in a significant increase in the mass and protein content of tibialis muscle in tumour-bearing-rats. This increase is associated with a decreased myogenin mRNA content together with an increased Pax-7 gene expression. Bupivacaine treatment by local injection results in an important reduction in tibialis weight together with significant increases in Pax-7, myogenin and MyoD gene expression. Formoterol treatment in bupivacaine-treated rats results in significant increases in Pax-7 together with significant decreases in myogenin mRNA content, suggesting that this 2-agonist is favouring muscle regeneration by stimulating the proliferation of satellite cells.Altogether, the data reinforce the potential role of formoterol in the treatment of muscle wasting diseases. %K bupivacaine %K cachexia %K formoterol %K proliferation cells %K regeneration %K skeletal muscle %K wasting %U http://journal.insciences.org/1664-171x-1-1-1/