Short-term diet and moderate exercise in young overweight men modulate cardiocyte and hepatocarcinoma survival by oxidative stress

The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of diet lifestyle on extending lifespan and reducing liver cancer risk. Young overweight men (n = 20), without metabolic syndrome, were placed in a 3-week residential program on a low-fat diet and moderate aerobic exercise. In each subject, pre- and postintervention fasting blood were collected for evaluating levels of serum lipids, and oxidative stress markers. Using subject sera and cardiomyocyte (H9C2) culture systems, we measured heat shock protein 27 and 90 expression, lipid accumulation, and oxidative stress marker levels. After 3-weeks of diet, significant reductions (P < 0.05) in body mass index, serum lipids and lipid ratios, and oxidative markers were recorded. In vitro, we observed that the addition of postintervention sera increased H9C2 cell number and reduced HSP27 and 90 expression, mitochondrial superoxide anion, and lipid accumulation with a parallel increase in nitric oxide (NO) production (all P < 0.01). At the same time, postintervention sera decreased human liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG-2) proliferation, lipid accumulation, oxidative stress, and extracellular-signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) activity. Lifestyle modification in young overweight men, without metabolic syndrome, could ameliorate cardiocyte survival and reduce hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation.