Exercise Training Prior To and During Cancer in Mice Preserves Muscle Mass, Reduces Tumor Weight, and Suppresses Molecular Mediators of Cachexia
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: We investigated the prophylactic effects of exercise before and during cancer cachexia (CC) using a model designed to mimic endurance and resistance (i.e., concurrent) adaptations. Male and female Balb/c mice were randomly assigned to exercise or control groups whereby exercise groups were subjected to an 8-week voluntary progressive weighted wheel running (PoWeR) program of habitual loading-mediated physical activity beginning at 8 weeks of age. At 16 weeks of age, mice were injected bilaterally with colon-26 adenocarcinoma (C26) cells or PBS, and exercise training was maintained throughout disease progression. Twenty-five days post-tumor induction, we assessed whole-body and muscle phenotype, muscle protein synthesis, a priori targeted gene expression, and transcriptomic adaptations via RNA sequencing. PoWeR training preserved skeletal muscle mass across nearly all muscle groups and maintained tumor-free body and cardiac mass. Muscle mass adaptations related to running volume; and running distance relative to controls was not appreciably reduced by tumor status. Tumor burden was reduced after ~11.5 weeks of PoWeR compared to sedentary, but this was not explanatory for muscle adaptations. PoWeR induced a faster-to-slower muscle fiber type transition in the gastrocnemius and suppressed key protein turnover markers (Redd1, Murf1, Atrogin, Ubc, Gadd45a) as well as the mitophagy-related marker Bnip3 in tumor-bearing muscle; 24h muscle protein synthesis remained stable. PoWeR counteracted tumor-induced impairments in the muscle mitochondrial- and metabolic-related transcriptome. Collectively, physical activity prior to and during cancer preserves muscle mass, reduces tumor growth, and mitigates molecular drivers of CC, underscoring its preventive and therapeutic potential as a lifestyle intervention.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE324100 | GEO | 2026/06/10
REPOSITORIES: GEO
ACCESS DATA