POMC and hepatocellular carcinoma: In contrast, Fujitsuka et al. (2011) [59] evaluated mice inoculated with AH-130 ascites hepatoma cells, which cause cachexia, and found lower plasma concentrations of ghrelin and reductions in the expression of hypothalamic Y (NPY) neuropeptide, agouti-related peptide, and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) compared with animals without cancer cachexia.