Introduction: Benefits of regular physical exercise were demonstrated as preventive and coadjuvant nonpharmacological anticancer therapy. However, the role of exercise in modulating prostate cancer behavior has yet to be established.
Methods: Prostate tumors were induced in C57BL/6 male mice (n = 28) by subcutaneous inoculation of a suspension of murine androgen-independent RM1 cells (1.5 × 105 cells/500 μL phosphate-buffered saline) in the dorsal region. Mice were randomly allocated into 2 study groups: sedentary tumor-induced (n = 14) and exercised tumor-induced (n = 14). Exercise consisted of voluntary running in wheeled cages. Mice (n = 7 per group) were sacrificed either 14 or 28 days after cell inoculation to evaluate tumor weight and percentage of area occupied by immunohistochemistry stained cells for Ki-67 and TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling, used as surrogate markers of cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively.
Results: Compared with sedentary tumor-induced mice, the tumors developed by exercised tumor-induced mice were significantly smaller at 14 days (0.17 [0.12] g vs 0.48 [0.24] g, P < .05) and at 28 days (0.92 [0.73] g vs 2.09 [1.31] g, P < .05), with smaller Ki-67 and greater TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling stained areas (P < .05).
Conclusion: These results suggest that regular voluntary running inhibits prostate cancer cell growth by reducing cell proliferation and enhancing apoptosis.
Keywords: apoptosis; cellular proliferation; physical exercise; tumor.