Caffeine-Supplemented Diet Prevents Fatigue-Like Behavior in Tumor-Bearing Mice

• Published in: Nutrition and Cancer
• Main Author: Ferdaos N.; Harada A.; Masuda E.; Kasai S.; Horaguchi T.; Yoshizawa K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor and Francis Ltd. 2023
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85147303410&doi=10.1080%2f01635581.2022.2163669&partnerID=40&md5=158095d50c0f27ded3ec79fbec1c744b

Caffeine is a widely consumed stimulant, known for its positive effects on physical and mental performance. These effects are potentially beneficial for ameliorating cancer-related fatigue, which affects the quality of life of patients with cancer. This study aimed to determine the anti-fatigue and antitumor effects of caffeine in tumor-bearing mice. BALB/c mice were intravenously injected with C26 colon carcinoma cells and fed with normal or 0.05% caffeine-supplemented diet. Fatigue-like behavior was assessed by running performance using a treadmill test. Lung, blood, liver, muscle, and epididymal adipose tissue samples were collected on day 13 and examined. The antitumor effect of caffeine was assessed using subcutaneous tumor-bearing mice fed with 0.05% caffeine-supplemented diet, and the tumor volume was measured. C26 tumor-bearing mice showed fatigue-like behavior associated with hypoglycemia, depleted liver glycogen and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels. C26 tumor-bearing mice fed with 0.05% caffeine-supplemented diet showed improved running performance associated with restored NEFA levels. However, exacerbated hypoglycemia and liver glycogen levels after caffeine consumption may be due to tumor-induced catabolic signals, as the tumor volume was not affected. Collectively, caffeine may exert anti-fatigue effects through enhanced lipolysis leading to restored NEFA levels, which can be used as an alternative energy source. © 2023 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.