Metronomic 5-Fluorouracil Delivery Primes Skeletal Muscle for Myopathy but Does Not Cause Cachexia

Skeletal myopathy encompasses both atrophy and dysfunction is a prominent event in cancer chemotherapy-induced cachexia. Here, we investigate the effects of chemotherapeutic agent, 5-fluorouracil (5FU), on skeletal muscle mass function, whether small-molecule therapeutic candidate, BGP-15, could be protective against chemotoxic challenge exerted by 5FU. Additionally, explore molecular signature 5FU treatment. Male Balb/c mice received metronomic tri-weekly intraperitoneal delivery (23 mg/kg), with without BGP-15 (15 6 times total over 15 day treatment period. We demonstrated that neither 5FU, nor combined affected body composition indices, or function. Adjuvant did, however, prevent 5FU-induced phosphorylation p38 MAPK p65 NF-B subunit, signalling pathways involved cell stress inflammatory signalling, respectively. This as associated mitoprotection. reduced expression key cytoskeletal proteins, desmin dystrophin, which was not prevented BGP-15. Combined, these data show does elicit physiological consequences to function but implicit priming for myopathy. has modest efficacy changes induced