The Effect of Endurance Training in Combination with Curcumin on Intratumoral Gene Expression of AngiomiR-126 and Angiopoietin-1 in Female Mice with Breast Cancer

Background & objectives: Breast cancer is one of the most common diseases and the leading cause of death among women worldwide. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of five weeks of endurance training in combination with curcumin on the cancer progression, intratumoral gene expression of angiomiR-126 and Angiopoietin-1 in breast cancer bearing female BALB/c mice. Methods: The present study was an experimental study. 4T1 breast cancer was transplanted into forty female BALB/c mice. Afterward, they were randomly divided into four groups including, a control group (C), an endurance training group (E), an endurance training along with curcumin (EC) and curcumin group (CC). E and EC groups performed 40 min at a constant running intensity corresponding to 60-65% vVo2peak at 0% inclination, 5 weeks (five days a week). CC and EC groups were treated by oral gavage with curcumin for five weeks (six days a week). Then, tumor tissue of all mice was extracted 24 hour after the last training session. Gene expression levels of miR-126 and angiopoietin-1 were determined by qRealtime PCR. Statistical data values were also measured by One-way ANOVA. Results: The results showed a significant inhibition of cancer growth, increased gene expression of miR-126 (p<0.001) and decreased angiopoietin-1 gene expression (p<0.001) in E, CC, and especially E-C compared to control group. All of these changes were significantly greater in the EC group than in the other intervention groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: It seems that five weeks of endurance training with curcumin supplementation possibly have a further effect on decreasing breast cancer mass growth by inhibiting miR-126 /angiopoietin-1 axis compared to other interventions alone.