مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رسانی علوم و فناوری Journal of Sports Physiology and Athletic Conditioning 2783-3038 5 18 2026 1 25 Effect of Swimming Exercise and Royal Jelly on MAPK and MMP-9 Gene Expression in Lung Tissue of Benzo[a]pyrene-Induced Lung Cancer Mouse Model Effect of Swimming Exercise and Royal Jelly on MAPK and MMP-9 Gene Expression in Lung Tissue of Benzo[a]pyrene-Induced Lung Cancer Mouse Model en Sepideh Rajabi Baniani Seyed Ali Hosseini Marvdasht Islamic Azad University Mehrzad Moghadasi 2025 11 16 <p><strong>Background and Objectives:</strong> Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers with a high mortality rate. Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) and (Matrix Metalloproteinase-9) MMP-9 pathways play crucial roles in inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular invasion. This study aimed to investigate the effects of swimming exercise and royal jelly on the gene expression of MAPK and MMP-9 in the lung tissue of mice with benzo[a]pyrene-induced lung cancer.</p> <p><strong>Materials and Methods:</strong> In this experimental study, 48 male Balb/C mice aged eight weeks were divided into eight groups: healthy control, lung cancer (BZP), , lung cancer + swimming training (ST), , lung cancer + royal jelly 50 mg/kg (RJ50), , lung cancer + royal jelly 100 mg/kg (RJ100), , lung cancer + swimming + royal jelly 50 mg/kg (ST.RJ50), and , lung cancer + swimming + royal jelly 100 mg/kg (ST.RJ100). Lung cancer was induced by intraperitoneal injection of benzo[a]pyrene at 100 mg/kg body weight. Swimming training was performed 3 days per week for 12 weeks. Royal jelly was administered intraperitoneally at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight. Forty-eight hours after the last session, mice were sacrificed, lung tissues were harvested, and gene expression of MAPK and MMP-9 was measured using real-time PCR.</p> <p><strong>Results: </strong>Lung cancer induction significantly increased MAPK and MMP-9 expression. Individual interventions, including swimming and royal jelly at 100 mg/kg, partially reduced MAPK and MMP-9 expression. However, the combination of swimming exercise with royal jelly, particularly at the higher dose (ST.RJ100), produced the greatest reduction in the expression of both genes.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The combination of regular exercise with royal jelly, especially at higher doses, has a synergistic effect in reducing MAPK pathway activity and MMP-9 expression. This combination may serve as a preventive and complementary natural strategy to control lung cancer progression and invasion. These findings highlight the importance of simultaneous non-pharmacological interventions with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects to improve molecular pathways related to cancer and enhance disease management.</p> http://jspac.etb.iau.ir/ar/Article/Download/52493