Fig. 4

L-carnitine ameliorates muscle mass atrophy and body weight loss, but without affecting food intake or tumor growth in CT26 tumor-bearing mice. A CT26 cells were transplanted into BALB/c nude mice (on day 0, D0) and the tumors became palpable on day 6 (D6). Subsequently, L-carnitine was administered at a dose of 1 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg by oral gavage daily from D6 to Day 24 (D24). Gastrocnemius muscles (GM) were examined at the end of the experiments by B HE-staining, C determining the cross-sectional fiber area, D weighing the GM of both hind legs and E determining the differences in the cross-sectional fiber area of the GM between groups. The body weight, food intake and tumor size were measured from the beginning to the end of the experiment, as shown in (F). The total weight of mice, G carcass weight of the mice, H food intake and I tumor size are shown. Data were plotted as the means ± SEM. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. Control = animals treated with the vehicle (0.9% NaCl; n = 6); other three groups (n = 8 for each)