# Effects of cancer-induced cachexia and administration of l-glutathione on the intestinal mucosa in rat

## TL;DR

This study examines how cancer-induced cachexia affects rat intestinal mucosa and whether l-glutathione can mitigate some of the damage.

## Contribution

The study introduces new insights into the protective effects of l-glutathione on intestinal mucosa in cancer-induced cachexia.

## Key findings

- Cancer-induced cachexia caused mucosal atrophy and reduced cell proliferation in rat intestines.
- l-Glutathione reduced apoptosis and mast cell recruitment, partially reversing mucosal damage.
- l-Glutathione did not reverse cachexia-related reductions in 5-HT-IR cells or VIPergic varicosities.

## Abstract

Walker-256 tumor is an experimental model known to promote cachexia syndrome, oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation. This study evaluated the duodenal mucosa of rats with Walker-256 tumor administered with 1% l-glutathione, intending to evaluate the damage caused by cancer-associated cachexia in the gastrointestinal tract and the effects of antioxidant administration on mucosal protection. Twenty-four 55-day-old male Wistar rats were distributed into four groups: control (C); control administered with 1% l-glutathione (C-GSH); Walker-256 tumor (W) and Walker-256 tumor administered with 1% l-glutathione (W-GSH). After 14 days of treatment, the duodenum was harvested for morphometric analysis of the mucosa, proliferation, apoptosis, immunostaining of varicosities immunoreactive (IR) to vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and 5-HT-IR cells, and quantification of mast cells and goblet cells. Walker-256 tumor-bearing rats showed cachexia syndrome, mucosal atrophy, reduced cell proliferation, reduced 5-HT-IR cells, and increased goblet cells and VIPergic varicosities, which were not reversed by l-glutathione. On the other hand, l-glutathione caused a reduction of cells in apoptosis and mast cell recruitment, demonstrating a partial recovery of the damage detected in the intestinal mucosa.