Abstract 1017: Pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and gene networks associate with pancreatic cancer induced cachexia

Introduction: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is associated with a high rate of cachexia, which specifically diminishes quality of life, prohibits effective therapies, and subsequently contributes to morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, mechanisms underlying this cancer-induced muscle wasting in the human disease remain incompletely described, in part due to limited translational models. Therefore, we hypothesize that the development of more representative models of PC cachexia will allow for development of therapeutic targets for cachexia. To test our hypothesis, we propose to 1) establish the first patient-derived xenograft (PDX) cancer cachexia models to identify the muscle associated with PC induced cachexia and 2) support these results by examining the corresponding skeletal muscle of PC patients whom contributed to the PDX models. Methods: Rectus abdominis muscle was biopsied from surgically resected PC patients and matched non-cancer controls. After surgical harvest of PC specimen, PDX models were derived in NOD.Cg-Prkdc scid Il2rg tm1Wjl /SzJ (NSG) mice and skeletal muscle was subsequently harvested for histologic investigations on ultrastructural disorganization and qRT-PCR for atrophy-related transcription factors differentially regulated in PC patients. Systemic cytokine expression profiles were analyzed with luminex technology and confirmed by ELISA. Results: Rectus biopsies from patients with resected PC displayed marked muscle fiber atrophy, increased extracellular space, greater variation in fiber size and shape and more centralized nuclei compared to controls. These architectural abnormalities were also present in mice bearing xenografts from corresponding PC patients. Despite the absence of an adaptive immune system, PDX mice demonstrated high levels of systemic TNFα, IL-1β, IL6 and KC (IL8) with a concomitant decrease in anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10 when compared to matched controls. Further, skeletal muscle from both patients with PC and mice bearing PDX tumors demonstrated increased expression of the Forkhead boxO1 (FoxO1) transcription factor and FoxO target gene and E3 ubiquitin ligase, MuRF1, both of which have been directly implicated in the regulation of muscle mass. Conclusions: Preoperative muscle wasting in PC is associated with characteristic architectural abnormalities and elevated FoxO1-MuRF1 levels. Mice bearing PDX demonstrate comparable elevations in circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, muscle pathology and FoxO1-MuRF1 levels. These results provide a valid translational model of cachexia which suggests a central role for FoxO1 and MuRF1 in PC-associated muscle wasting. Citation Format: Daniel Delitto, Sarah M. Judge, Rachel L. Nosacka, Andrea Knowlton, Fernanda G. Rocha, Kevin E. Behrns, Steven J. Hughes, Shannon M. Wallet, Andrew R. Judge, Jose G. Trevino. Pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and gene networks associate with pancreatic cancer induced cachexia. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1017.