がん悪液質に対するEPAと運動の併用療法

がん悪液質に対するEPA（エイコサペンタエン酸）と運動の併用療法に関する論文を紹介します。

Fabio Penna, et al: Combined approach to counteract experimental cancer cachexia: eicosapentaenoic acid and training exercise. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle DOI 10.1007/s13539-011-0028-4

以下のHPで全文PDFで見ることができます。

http://www.springerlink.com/content/e226108523m40409/fulltext.pdf

マウスでの動物実験ですが、肺がんのマウスに対してEPA単独では、筋肉量減少を予防することはできませんでした。一方、EPAと運動の併用では、筋肉量と筋力の減少をある程度防ぐことができました。

動物実験なのでそのまま人にあてはめることはできませんが、がん悪液質の患者では、EPA単独よりもEPAと運動を併用したほうが筋肉量と筋力の維持に有効な可能性があります。まさにリハ栄養ですね。

Abstract
Background Cancer cachexia is a syndrome characterized
by loss of skeletal muscle protein, depletion of lipid stores,
anorexia, weakness, and perturbations of the hormonal
homeostasis. Despite several therapeutic approaches
described in the past, effective interventions countering
cancer cachexia are still lacking.

Methods The present work was aimed to verify the ability
of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to prevent the muscle
depletion in Lewis lung carcinoma-bearing mice and to
test the ability of endurance exercise training to increase the
EPA effect.

Results EPA alone did not prevent the muscle loss induced
by tumor growth while the combination with exercise
induced a partial rescue of muscle strength and mass.
Moreover, the association of EPA and exercise reduced the
dramatic PAX-7 accumulation and stimulated the increase
of PCG-1 protein.

Conclusions Overall, the present data suggest that exercise
is an effective tool that should be added for combined
therapeutic approaches against cancer cachexia.