Specifically, it has been suggested that PGC-1αprotects skeletal muscle from atrophy (53) while PGC-1ß expression has been associated with an increase inATP-consuming reactions (24).Moreover, reduced PGC-1 expression levels have also been correlated to profoundly reducedmitochondrial content and activity (22); these effects may be due to the action of UCPs (34) given that down-regulation of PGC-1sis accompanied by increased UCP expression in murine models of both cancer- (12,14,23) andburn-related cachexia (31,54). This evidence concerns the gene UCP1 and cancer.