Exercise-Mediated Lowering of Glutamine Availability Suppresses Tumor Growth and Attenuates Muscle Wasting
Journal article, 2020

Glutamine is a central nutrient for many cancers, contributing to the generation of building blocks and energy-promoting signaling necessary for neoplastic proliferation. In this study, we hypothesized that lowering systemic glutamine levels by exercise may starve tumors, thereby contributing to the inhibitory effect of exercise on tumor growth. We demonstrate that limiting glutamine availability, either pharmacologically or physiologically by voluntary wheel running, significantly attenuated the growth of two syngeneic murine tumor models of breast cancer and lung cancer, respectively, and decreased markers of atrophic signaling in muscles from tumor-bearing mice. In continuation, wheel running completely abolished tumor-induced loss of weight and lean body mass, independently of the effect of wheel running on tumor growth. Moreover, wheel running abolished tumor-induced upregulation of muscular glutamine transporters and myostatin signaling. In conclusion, our data suggest that voluntary wheel running preserves muscle mass by counteracting muscular glutamine release and tumor-induced atrophic signaling.

Physiology

Cancer

Specialized Functions of Cells

Author

K. S. Pedersen

Copenhagen University Hospital

Francesco Gatto

Elypta AB

Chalmers, Biology and Biological Engineering, Systems and Synthetic Biology

Bo Zerahn

Amtssygehuset i Herlev

Jens B Nielsen

Chalmers, Biology and Biological Engineering, Systems and Synthetic Biology

B. K. Pedersen

Copenhagen University Hospital

P. Hojman

Copenhagen University Hospital

J. Gehl

Zealand University Hospital

University of Copenhagen

iScience

25890042 (eISSN)

Vol. 23 4 100978

Subject Categories

Physiology

Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging

Cancer and Oncology

DOI

10.1016/j.isci.2020.100978

More information

Latest update

1/3/2024 9