Alpha-2-glycoprotein 1, zinc-binding (AZGP1), known as zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein (ZAG), is a multifunctional secretory glycoprotein and relevant to cancer metastasis.
No expression of FNDC5 or zinc-α-2 glycoprotein, a cachectic factor, was observed in gastric tissues from the control and MNU groups, whereas significantly increased FNDC5 expression was determined in the both white and brown adipose tissues from the cancer group.
As a candidate gene we further evaluated the expression of alpha(2)-zinc-glycoprotein 1 (AZGP1), a soluble protein that stimulates lipolysis, induces a reduction in body fat in mice, is associated with the cachexia related to cancer, and is known to be expressed in secretory cells of lung epithelium.