Our findings are the first to demonstrate a role for glucocorticoids in the GSI-IX development of muscle atrophy after acute administration of cytotoxic chemotherapy. This finding introduces the possibility of therapeutic intervention that can be easily timed to coincide with the administration of chemotherapy. Future studies will likely evaluate the combined effects of chemotherapy and tumor growth on the development of cachexia. Deletion of the glucocorticoid receptor from cardiac muscle failed to alter the regulation of these genes by chemotherapy. This argues that the regulation of these genes in the myocardium by chemotherapy occurs as the result of direct cytotoxicity or the regulation of an as-of-yet unknown systemic factor. Periodontitis is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory disease of polymicrobial GDC-0879 origin that causes the destruction of the toothsupporting tissues, including the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. A limited number of Gram-negative, mostly anaerobic bacteria that colonize the subgingival sites and activate the host immune response have been associated with this disease. More specifically, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is considered to be a key etiological agent of aggressive periodontitis. The lipopolysaccharide of A. actinomycetemcomitans is a major virulence factor that can promote adhesion to oral cells and can activate the host immune response, resulting in the secretion of large amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 that contribute to the destruction of periodontal tissues. Epithelial cells and fibroblasts are the predominant cells of periodontal tissues and serve as a first line of defense against periodontopathogens. They act as a mechanical barrier against bacterial invasion in addition to secreting different classes of inflammatory mediators and tissue-destructive enzymes in response to pathogen stimulation. When the immune and inflammatory responses do not stop the progression of the periodontal infection, uncontrolled secretion of cytokines occurs, leading to chronic inflammation and periodontal tissue destruction.