A Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonographic Study About the Impact of Long-term Exercise Training on Mammary Tumor Vascularization.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of long-term exercise training on the vascularization of rat mammary tumors. METHODS: Female rats were divided into 4 groups: N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) treated sedentary, MNU treated exercised, control sedentary, and control exercised. Tumor development was induced in the MNU groups by MNU administration. Exercised groups were trained for 35 weeks. Tumor vascularization was evaluated by pulsed Doppler and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. RESULTS: The pulsatility and resistive indices were slightly higher in the MNU sedentary group (P > .05). Mammary tumors mainly had centripetal and heterogeneous enhancement of the contrast, clear margins, and the presence of penetrating vessels. The MNU exercised group had a lower arrival time and time to peak and higher peak intensity, wash-in, and wash-out (P > .05). The area under the curve was similar between groups (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: The contrast-enhanced ultrasonographic study did not detect differences in mammary tumor vascularization between MNU sedentary and MNU exercised groups previously detected by power Doppler imaging, B-flow imaging, and immunohistochemistry.