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Cachexia and Wasting: A Modern Approach pp 521–536Cite as

Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Cancer Anorexia, and Hypothalamic Gene Expression

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Abstract

A number of novel pathways and mediators controlling food intake, body weight, and energy expenditure have been identified using molecular and genetic techniques [1, 2]. It is now accepted that body weight is regulated by a feedback loop, in which peripheral signals from the gut, liver, and fat provide nutritional information via hormones and afferent vagal input to integrated centres in the brainstem and the hypothalamus. At these sites, monoaminergic and peptidergic neurons interact to integrate and transduce the incoming signals, thereby modulating food intake [2]. In this type of regulation, orexigenic and anorexigenic neuromediators are in a constant balance to maintain homeostasis. In several clinical diseases, ranging from inflammatory conditions such as obesity to cancer, an imbalance among these neuromediators occurs, leading, respectively, to either hyperphagia, with an increase in food intake, or to anorexia, with a decrease in food intake [3, 4].

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Surgical Metabolism and Nutrition Laboratory, Neuroscience Programs, University Hospital, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Eduardo J. B. Ramos, Carolina G. Goncalves, Susumu Suzuki & Michael M. Meguid

  2. Department of Behavioral Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan

    Akio Inui

  3. Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy

    Alessandro Laviano

Authors
  1. Eduardo J. B. Ramos
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  2. Carolina G. Goncalves
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  3. Susumu Suzuki
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  4. Akio Inui
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  5. Alessandro Laviano
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  6. Michael M. Meguid
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

    Giovanni Mantovani

  2. Department of Clinical Cardiology, Imperial College, NHLI, London, UK

    Stefan D. Anker

  3. Department of Cardiology Charité, Applied Cachexia Research, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany

    Stefan D. Anker

  4. Department of Behavioral Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan

    Akio Inui

  5. GRECC, VA Medical Center and Division of Geriatric Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA

    John E. Morley

  6. Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy

    Filippo Rossi Fanelli

  7. Department of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS S.Matteo Polyclinic, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Daniele Scevola

  8. Bone Marrow and Blood Stem Cell Transplantation Program, Center for Lymphoma and Myeloma, New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Michael W. Schuster

  9. Department of Medicine-Geriatrics, University of New York at Stony Brook VAMC, Northport, NY, USA

    Shing-Shing Yeh

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Ramos, E.J.B., Goncalves, C.G., Suzuki, S., Inui, A., Laviano, A., Meguid, M.M. (2006). Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Cancer Anorexia, and Hypothalamic Gene Expression. In: Mantovani, G., et al. Cachexia and Wasting: A Modern Approach. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-0552-5_50

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-0552-5_50

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-0471-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-0552-5

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