Maternal Exercise Enhances Cancer Protection in Offspring

描述（由申请人提供）：迄今为止，在实验动物中，热量限制已被证明是最具可重复性和最有希望改善癌症预后的干预措施。一个密集和不断扩大的研究领域侧重于发现容易实现的干预措施，这些干预措施可以产生持久的积极影响。这一建议将探索孕妇在怀孕期间的锻炼作为一种潜在的短期干预措施，可以为下一代提供终生的益处。在一项对小鼠的小型初步研究中，与不动的小鼠相比，运动的小鼠所生的后代有更好的葡萄糖调节和更强的应激保护。这些初步发现支持了这样的假设，即母亲在怀孕和哺乳期间的锻炼可以保护成熟的后代免受化学致癌物质的侵害，因为抗氧化酶的活性增加了。第一个目的是测试母亲在怀孕期间的锻炼是否能够保护成熟的后代免受化学致癌物质的侵害。第二个目标将着眼于阐明应激诱导的转录因子，核因子-红细胞-2相关因子-2的作用，作为围产期运动持久保护的潜在机制。这些研究将为母亲运动可能对后代癌症保护产生的潜在积极影响提供重要信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): To date, caloric restriction has shown itself to be the most reproducible and promising intervention to improve cancer outcomes in laboratory animals. An intense and expanding area of research is focused on discovering easily achievable interventions that can have long-lasting positive effects. This proposal will explore maternal exercise during pregnancy as a potential short-term intervention that can provide a lifetime of benefits for the next generation. In a small pilot study in mice, offspring born to exercised dams had improved glucose regulation and enhanced stress protection compared to offspring born to sedentary dams. These preliminary findings contribute to the hypothesis that maternal exercise during pregnancy and nursing protects mature offspring against chemical carcinogens because of increased activities of antioxidant enzymes. The first aim is designed to test whether maternal exercise during pregnancy is a realistic intervention that can protect mature offspring from chemical carcinogens. The second aim will look to elucidate the role of the stress-induced transcription factor, nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2, as a potential mechanism for long-lasting protection by perinatal exercise. These studies will provide important information on the potential positive impact maternal exercise may have on offspring cancer protection.