Effect of 10 Weeks of High-Intensity Interval Training on Protein Levels of NF-kB and Expression of Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1 in Cardiomyocytes of Female Mice with Breast Cancer

Limiting cancer-induced cardiac atrophy is a highly important for improving the survival rates and quality of life in cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of 10 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on cardiac muscle weight, NF-kB protein expression, and expression of Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1 genes in the heart muscle of breast cancer–bearing female mice.

In this experimental study, 12 BALB/c mice with induced breast cancer were divided into control and HIIT groups. The HIIT protocol consisted of six intervals of running at 85%-90% V̇O2 peak, interspersed with 90 seconds of active rest, and five minutes of warm-up and cool-down. The left ventricular tissue was extracted 24 h following the last training session. Western blotting was used to measure protein levels of NF-kB, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to measure Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1 expression in the heart tissue. Data were analyzed using an independent t test at a 0.05 significance level.

The mean cardiac muscle weight in the HIIT group was greater than in the control group (P < 0.001). A significant reduction in NF-kB protein levels (P = 0.004) and expression of Atrogin-1 (P < 0.001) and MuRF-1 (P < 0.001) were observed in the HIIT group when compared with control group.

Ten weeks of HIIT may inhibit NF-kB/Atrogin-1/MuRF-1 axis, leading to decreased atrophy and increased heart weight in mice with breast cancer.