Purpose: Physical exercise typically reduces tumor growth and proliferation and improves outcomes. Many of these effects require exercise-induced changes in gene expression within a tumor; however, it has not yet been investigated whether exercise actually affects gene expression within a tumor. The aim of this study was therefore to determine whether a single bout of endurance exercise alters gene expression and proliferation in a C26 carcinoma in immunocompetent mice.
Methods: BALB/c mice were injected with C26 colon carcinoma cells. Once tumors had developed, mice either ran for 65 minutes at increasing intensity or remained at rest before tumor dissection. Tumors were then analyzed by RNA-Seq and stained for the proliferation marker KI67.
Results: A 65-minute running session did not systematically alter gene expression in C26 carcinomas of BALB/c mice compared with resting controls. However, when analyzed by sex, the expression of 17 genes—mostly related to skeletal muscle—was higher in tumor samples from female mice collected after exercise. Further histological analyses indicated that this signal likely originated from the presence of panniculus carnosus muscle fibers within the tumors. Moreover, we found no differences in KI67 proliferation marker positivity between control and exercise groups.
Conclusion: A single exercise session did not systematically affect gene expression or proliferation in C26 carcinomas in immunocompetent BALB/c mice.
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