Association of physical exercise and a healthy gut microbiome in colorectal cancer
Menée à partir de données portant sur 179 patients atteints d'un cancer colorectal de stade I à IV, cette étude internationale prospective analyse l'association entre la pratique d'une activité physique et la diversité du microbiote intestinal
Résumé en anglais
Investigators report that regular physical activity may help patients with colorectal cancer by maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, according to the first study to look at the effects of physical activity on the gut microbiome in people with colorectal cancer.
The study builds on prior evidence showing that a healthy gut microbiome is an important factor in preventing the development of colorectal cancer and that the presence of certain bacteria in the gut (e.g., Fusobacterium nucleatum) increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer. No study to date, however, has looked at the gut microbiome as a biological mechanism underlying the association between physical activity and colorectal cancer, says senior study author Cornelia M. Ulrich, PhD, MS, executive director of the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and a Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Presidential Professor in Cancer Research.
Ulrich and colleagues collected data from 179 patients with stage I–IV colorectal cancer enrolled in the international, prospective ColoCare Study between 2010 and 2018 to examine the associations of physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and combinations of physical activity and BMI with gut microbiome diversity and numbers of different bacteria. Data included presurgery stool samples (assessed by type and abundance through 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing), physical activity levels during the year before diagnosis (classified as active or inactive on the basis of guidelines), and baseline BMI.
Among the results, the study found that inactive patients, particularly those who were overweight or obese, had a gut microbiome characterized by lower microbial diversity. Prior data show that patients with colorectal cancer have lower microbial diversity than healthy controls, whereas other data show higher microbial diversity in athletes compared to healthy controls. When looking at the number of different bacteria, the investigators found that active patients had enriched abundances of bacteria found in healthy persons and athletes. “Our results suggest that following the physical activity guidelines may help patients with colorectal cancer by maintaining a healthy microbiome,” says Dr Ulrich.
A key finding of the study was that patients can experience the benefits of physical therapy on the gut microbiome regardless of whether they are normal weight, overweight, or obese, notes Dr Ulrich. The study also found that physical activity may counteract obesity-induced dysbiosis of the gut microbiome.
The findings suggest another good reason for patients with colorectal cancer to follow physical activity guidelines. “Patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer can positively influence their gut microbiome health by following the current physical activity guidelines (150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week),” Dr Ulrich says. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.
