Mouse Astrocytes are Able to Regulate Energy Metabolism Through the Warburg Effect Similar to Cancer Cells

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 MSC Student of Clinical Biochemistry.Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

2 MSc of Clinical Biochemistry.Abadan School of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Clinical Biochemistry.Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

Abstract

Background and Objective: In Warburg effect, an aerobic glycolysis, tumor cells tend to absorb glucose and secrete lactate in the presence of oxygen to provide the energy needed for the growth in nutrient-poor conditions. Previous studies have shown that fetal cells behave like cancer cells. Based on those researches, we examined the Warburg effect in cultured fetal astrocytes isolated from the newborn mouse brain of C57BL/6 by creating a condition similar to cancer cells to induce cell starvation.
Subjects and Methods: Astrocytes were cultured in DMEM/ FBS 10% and starvation was induced during the subculture for the period of 16, 48 and 72 hr.  At the end glucose, lactate secretion and intracellular LDH activity were measured by a colorimetric method.
Results: Glucose consumption was increased to 42% after 48 hr of starvation (P< 0.05). Starvation-mediated events indicate an increase of lactate release after 16 hr and a significant increase in intracellular LDH activity by 7.63 fold after 72 hr compared to the control (P< 0.05).
Conclusion: Lactate production and secretion acts as a necessary source of energy and also a chemical component for signaling to other cells similar to what happen in the tumor cells. Since we provided a condition like tumor cells environment for astrocytes, it is concluded that astrocetes, like other cells, can mimic Warburg effect and this lead to a better understanding of tumor cell metabolism concepts to design of novel therapeutic strategies to target these cells in the brain.

Keywords

References

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Jundishapur Scientific Medical Journal
Volume 15, Issue 4 - Serial Number 103
September and October 2017
Pages 423-431

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History

  • Receive Date: 25 January 2015
  • Revise Date: 05 May 2016
  • Accept Date: 02 July 2016

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