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. 2019 Sep 16;2(3):201-209.
doi: 10.1002/ame2.12082. eCollection 2019 Sep.

The animal cachexia score (ACASCO)

Angelica Betancourt  1 , Sílvia Busquets  1   2 , Marta Ponce  1 , Míriam Toledo  1 , Joan Guàrdia-Olmos  3   4 , Maribel Peró-Cebollero  3   4 , Francisco J López-Soriano  1   2 , Josep M Argilés  1   2
Affiliations

The animal cachexia score (ACASCO)

Angelica Betancourt et al. Animal Model Exp Med. .

Abstract

Background: None of the published studies involving cancer cachexia experimental models have included a measure of the severity of the syndrome like the scoring system previously developed for human subjects. The aim of the present investigation was to define and validate a cachexia score usable in both rat and mouse tumor models.

Methods: In order to achieve this goal, we included in the study one rat model (Yoshida AH-130ascites hepatoma) and two mouse models (Lewis lung carcinoma and Colon26 carcinoma). The Animal cachexia score (ACASCO) includes five components: (a) body and muscle weight loss, (b) inflammation and metabolic disturbances, (c) physical performance, (d) anorexia, and (e) quality of life measured using discomfort symptoms and behavioral tests.

Results: Using the ACASCO values, three cut-off values were estimated by applying hierarchical cluster analysis. Four groups were originally described, one exactly below the observed mean, a second exactly over the mean, and two other groups adjusted to every cue (inferior and superior). The three cut-off values were estimated through maximization of the classification function. This was accomplished by using a similarity matrix based on the metric properties of the variables and assuming multinormal distribution. The results show that the four groups were: no cachexia, mild cachexia, moderate cachexia and advanced cachexia.

Conclusions: The results obtained allow us to conclude that the score could be very useful as an endpoint in pre-clinical studies involving therapeutic strategies for cancer cachexia. The potential usefulness of ACASCO relates to the primary endpoint in pre-clinical cancer cachexia drug evaluations.

Keywords: anorexia; cachexia; classification; physical performance; quality of life; score; wasting; weight loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Conglomerate analysis of the different tumor models. A, Yoshida AH‐130 ascites hepatoma model. B, Lewis lung carcinoma model. C, Colon26 carcinoma
Figure 2
Figure 2
Correlation of ACASCO with tumor weight. A, Yoshida AH‐130 ascites hepatoma model (cells × 106). B, Lewis lung carcinoma model (mg). C, Colon26 carcinoma (mg)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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