It is not clear why cachexia in these two models should be independent of glucocorticoids, since in mice bearing the MAC16 tumour serum levels of cortisol increased with increasing weight loss, and the development of cachexia was attenuated by the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU38486, with a concomitant reduction in ZAG expression in adipose tissue. Here, NR3C1 is linked to neoplasm.