modulatory effects of aerobic exercise and urtica dioica hydroalcoholic extract on tumor growth and interleukin-10 levels in a murine melanoma model

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.