Journal of Exercise & Organ Cross Talk

Abstract To investigate the individual and combined effects of six weeks of aerobic exercise and hydroalcoholic extract of Urtica dioica (nettle) on tumor volume, body weight, and interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels in both serum and tumor tissue in male C57BL/6 mice bearing B16F10 melanoma tumors. Thirty-two male C57BL/6 mice (6–8 weeks old, 12–14 g) were randomly assigned to four equal groups (n=8): Control, Aerobic Exercise (AE), Nettle Extract (NE), and Combined (AE+NE). Melanoma was induced via surgical implantation of B16F10 tumor fragments. The AE protocol consisted of treadmill running for 6 weeks (5 days/week, progressing from 20 to 30 minutes/session at 6–16 m/min). The NE group received intraperitoneal injections of hydroalcoholic nettle extract (200 mg/kg body weight). The combined group received both interventions. The combined AE+NE group showing a significant reduction in tumor volume compared to the control group (p=0.0186). One-way ANOVA revealed significant differences in serum IL-10 across groups (F=9.811, p=0.0001), with significant increases observed in the AE (p=0.0003) and AE+NE (p = 0.0005) groups compared to controls. For tumor IL-10, a significant difference was also found across groups (F=3.047, p= 0.0451), with the combined AE+NE group showing a significant decrease (p =0.0435) compared to the control group. No significant correlation was found between serum and tumor IL-10 levels in any group (p>0.05). The combined intervention significantly suppressed tumor growth compared to controls and was associated with increased serum IL-10 levels but decreased IL-10 levels within the tumor microenvironment, suggesting a complex, compartment-specific immunomodulatory effect.