The anti-ischemic effect of trimetazidine in patients with postprandial myocardial ischemia is unrelated to meal composition

Modulating Metabolism to Improve Cancer-Induced Muscle Wasting

Muscle wasting is one of the main features of cancer cachexia, a multifactorial syndrome frequently occurring in oncologic patients. The onset of cachexia is associated with reduced tolerance and response to antineoplastic treatments, eventually leading to clinical conditions that are not compatible with survival. Among the mechanisms underlying cachexia, protein and energy dysmetabolism play a major role. In this regard, several potential treatments have been proposed, mainly on the basis of promising results obtained in preclinical models. However, at present, no treatment yet reached validation to be used in the clinical practice, although several drugs are currently tested in clinical trials for their ability to improve muscle metabolism in cancer patients. Along this line, the results obtained in both experimental and clinical studies clearly show that cachexia can be effectively approached by a multidirectional strategy targeting nutrition, inflammation, catabolism, and inactivity at the same time. In the present study, approaches aimed to modulate muscle metabolism in cachexia will be reviewed.

Effects of exogenous metabolic substrate modulation on exercise-induced myocardial ischemia

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study is to compare the impact of intravenous glucose versus lipid versus saline on exercise-induced myocardial ischemia in patients with stable angina.

METHODS

Twelve men with coronary artery disease and positive exercise tests performed a symptom-limited, modified Bruce electrocardiogram (ECG) exercise test at 3 sessions, 3 weeks apart. They randomly received, in double-blind design, at each session equal intravenous volumes of 10% glucose/insulin or Intralipid plus heparin or saline. We assessed the effects on (1) ischemic threshold (heart rate x systolic pressure at 1-mm ST-segment depression [STD]) and (2) maximum ST-depression (Max STD) corresponding to the highest heart rate x systolic pressure common to the 3 tests.

RESULTS

During glucose infusion, glycemia increased from 5.7 +/- 0.4 to 9.4 +/- 3.0 mmol/L but did not change during lipid or saline infusion. During lipid infusion, free fatty acids increased from 0.32 +/- 0.19 to 1.44 +/- 0.46 mmol/L but decreased during glucose infusion from 0.39 +/- 0.21 to 0.04 +/- 0.03 mmol/L and did not change during saline. Exercise times were 10.0 +/- 3.4, 9.8 +/- 3.4, and 10.3 +/- 3.5 minutes, during glucose, lipid, and saline infusions, respectively. Ischemic thresholds (x 10(-3)) were 16.5 +/- 2.8, 16.8 +/- 2.7, and 16.6 +/- 2.6, respectively. MaxSTD was 2.5 +/- 1.4, 2.5 +/- 1.0, and 2.5 +/- 1.0 mm, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Neither glucose-insulin nor lipid infusion modified exercise ischemic parameters compared with saline control, suggesting that marked and acute changes in exogenous energy substrate are unlikely to affect exercise-induced myocardial ischemia.