Aerobic training modulation of the host systemic milieu directly alters breast cancer cell phenotype in vitro.

ABSTRACT: Aberrant production and/or function of multiple host systemic factors (e.g., metabolic and immune-inflammatory mediators) act in concert to promote a ‘tumorigenic’ host milieu that directly promotes an aggressive malignant phenotype as well as drug resistance. Hence, strategies with the capacity to simultaneously act across multiple host systemic pathways may be required to optimize therapeutic outcomes in solid tumors. We hypothesized that chronic aerobic training, a pleiotropic whole-body intervention, modulates multiple systemic host pathways that, in turn, effectively alters cancer cell phenotype in vitro. Plasma samples from patients with solid tumors exposed to chronic aerobic training or sedentary control were comprehensively characterized for changes in immune, inflammatory, and metabolic pathways. Compared with sedentary control, aerobic training caused significant reductions in interleukin (IL)-4, macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta (MIP1-β), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). There were no significant changes in leukocyte phenotype or any plasma metabolite signatures. Exposure of estrogen receptor (ER) distinct human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) to post-intervention serum from breast cancer patients exposed to aerobic training caused marked increases in proliferation, migration, and apoptosis, compared to control patient serum. Only the combination of cytokines significantly reduced in plasma following aerobic training recapitulated the phenotype observed with patient serum in MCF-7 cells whereas only the single addition of MIP-1β or HGF significantly increased apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells. Co-culturing of MDA-MB-231 cells with patient exercise serum and a HGF neutralizing antibody increased proliferation and completely abrogated exercise serum-induced apoptosis. Finally, whole-genome microarray of MDA-MB-231 cells exposed to exercise or control patient serum revealed differential modulation of 310 genes including PTEN, CDK3, and IGFBP1. Our findings indicate the widespread potential of chronic aerobic training to modulate host immune-inflammatory systemic factors in patients with solid tumors. Modulation of such pathways directly alters breast cancer phenotypes providing novel insight into the molecular pathways by which exercise may inhibit malignant progression.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE46925 | GEO | 2013/08/01

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA203043

REPOSITORIES: GEO