Table 1.

Tumour growth effects on body composition, tissues weight rate and serum cachexia markers

	C (n = 12)	W (n = 12)	M (n = 12)	WM (n = 12)
Initial body weight (g)	65.8 ± 13.4	67.1 ± 11.3	67.2 ± 14.1	67.9 ± 11.2
Final body weight (g)	131.5 ± 14.3	119.5 ± 11.6*	135.2 ± 14.1	123.2 ± 11.5
Body water (%)	69.1 ± 1.8	73.6 ± 2.1***	69.1 ± 1.0	72.9 ± 2.7***
Body fat (%)	5.6 ± 1.9	2.9 ± 1.3***	6.3 ± 0.9	3.4 ± 1.6**
Lean body mass (%)	24.0 ± 2.9	21.3 ± 3.2*	23.5 ± 3.3	23.0 ± 3.4
Carcass protein (mg/g)	30.9 ± 1.8	26.4 ± 2.1***	30.9 ± 1.0	27.1 ± 2.7***
Collagen nitrogen (mg/100 g)	21.7 ± 5.6	14.2 ± 5.9**	19.2 ± 6.7	18.8 ± 4.8#
Non-collagen nitrogen (mg/100 g)	83.5 ± 7.2	88.4 ± 6.4	87.5 ± 6.2	84.8 ± 3.7
Total nitrogen (mg/100 g)	105.2 ± 7.1	100.1 ± 5.7	100.7 ± 11.0	103.3 ± 5.1
Muscle relative weight (%)	0.62 ± 0.05	0.48 ± 0.08***	0.62 ± 0.05	0.53 ± 0.07***
Muscular protein (μg/μL)	5.3 ± 0.2	4.5 ± 0.1*	5.5 ± 0.3	5.0 ± 0.2#
Tumour weight (g)	-	11.4 ± 3.1	-	10.1 ± 3.3
Tumour relative weight (g)	-	14.1 ± 4.0	-	10.9 ± 2.8#
Total plasma protein (g/dL)	5.4 ± 0.3	4.6 ± 0.4*	5.7 ± 0.9	5.0 ± 0.5#
Albumin (g/dL)	3.0 ± 0.1	2.3 ± 0.2***	2.9 ± 0.1	2.3 ± 0.3***
Globulin (g/dL)	3.2 ± 0.5	2.4 ± 0.3*	3.1 ± 0.9	2.6 ± 0.3

Legend: C, control rats; W, Walker 256 tumour-bearing rats; M, metformin-treated rats (33 mg/Kg); WM, Walker 256 tumour-bearing rats treated with metformin (33 mg/Kg). Number of animals per group = 12. Data are presented as mean ± SD. *p < 0.05 vs C; **p < 0.01 vs C; ***p < 0.001 vs C; #p < 0.05 vs W; ##p < 0.01 vs W