1 Investigating the Effect of 12-Week Swim Training and Vitamin C Supplementation on TGF-β Expression in Lung Tissue of Mice with Lung Cancer
Subject Areas : Sport Physiology
Zahra Sheykhi
1
,
Seyed Ali Hosseini
2
*
,
Mehrzad Moghadasi
3
1 - PhD student in the Department of Exercise Physiology, Sh.C., Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran
2 - Faculty of Exercise Physiology, Marv.C., Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran
3 - Faculty of Exercise Physiology, Sh.C., Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran
Keywords: Lung cancer, Benzo[a]pyrene, TGF-β, Swimming training , vitamin C,
Abstract :
Introduction: Lung cancer involves dysregulation of key signaling pathways, including transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β). This study examined the effect of 12-week swim training (ST) and vitamin C (VC) supplementation on TGF-β expression in the lung tissue of mice with lung cancer.
Materials and Methods: 42 male Balb/c mice were assigned to seven groups: healthy control (HC), lung cancer control (LC), VC50, VC100, ST, ST+VC50, and ST+VC100. Lung cancer was induced by benzo[a]pyrene injection. The ST protocol was conducted for 12 weeks, 3 sessions/week. VC was administered orally daily. TGF-β mRNA expression was measured using real-time PCR. Data were analyzed by independent t-test and two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc test (p≤0.05).
Results: Cancer induction significantly increased TGF-β expression in the LC group (2.44 ± 0.14) compared to HC (1.00 ± 0.025; p=0.001). ST alone significantly reduced TGF-β (1.76 ± 0.10) versus LC (p=0.002). A significant interaction was found between ST and VC on TGF-β reduction (p=0.028), with the lowest expression in ST+VC100 (1.05 ± 0.06) and ST+VC50 (1.12 ± 0.11) groups.
Conclusion: The combination of ST and VC synergistically reduces TGF-β expression in a lung cancer model, suggesting a promising complementary therapeutic strategy.
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