Review Article

The Janus-Faced Role of Antioxidants in Cancer Cachexia: New Insights on the Established Concepts

Figure 3

Mitochondrial dysfunction in wasted muscles. High ROS amounts present within atrophied muscles impair mitochondrial ATP synthesis by causing direct oxidative damage in the electron transport chain. This weak ATP production leads to a low mitochondrial transmembrane potential, allowing mitochondria to produce very excessive rates of ROS, thereby maintaining the vicious circle. All these events contribute to muscle wasting development through impairing muscle contractibility and ability to generate force.