Diet and exercise are two environmental factors that can alter colon cancer risk. The purpose of this study was to determine if regular moderate-intensity treadmill exercise training could attenuate polyp formation in Apc(Min/+) mice fed the Western-style diet. Four-week-old male Apc(Min/+) mice (n = 12 per group) were assigned to AIN-76A Control, AIN-76A Exercise, Western Control, or Western Exercise treatment groups.

Mice were weaned to these diets and either subjected to regular moderate-intensity treadmill exercise (18 m/min, 60 min/d, 6 d/wk) or remained sedentary for 6 weeks. Mice fed the Western-style diet consumed approximately 14% more calories and had 42% more epididymal fat compared with mice fed the AIN-76A diet.

Exercise had no effect on fat pad mass with either diet treatment. Exercise reduced total intestinal polyp number by 50% and the number of large polyps (>1 mm diameter) by 67% in AIN-76A-fed mice. The Western-style diet increased polyp number by 75% when compared with AIN-76A-fed mice, but exercise did not decrease polyp number or alter polyp size in mice fed the Western-style diet.

Markers of systemic inflammation and immune system function were improved with exercise in mice fed the AIN-76A diet. Mice fed the Western-style diet showed more inflammation and immunosuppression, which were not completely ameliorated by exercise. These data suggest that the induction of adiposity, inflammation, and immunosuppression by the Western-style diet may compromise the beneficial effect of moderate-intensity exercise on the intestinal polyp burden in Apc(Min/+) mice.