title: Non-essential amino acids attenuate apoptosis of gastric cancer cells induced by glucose starvation.
abstract: Energy and nutrition are essential requirements for all living cells, including cancer cells. In the initiating stage of cancer in organs, cancer cells grow fast and have inadequate supplies of glucose, oxygen and other nutrients due to deficient angiogenesis. Anaerobic conditions cause cancer cells to rely on glycolysis, which produces pyruvate and ATP that can be used by cancer cells to survive. However, glucose starvation may result in apoptosis or necrosis of cancer cells. It has been reported that autophagy is a consequence of glucose starvation and that amino acids are products of autophagy. The present study investigated whether amino acids may represent an alternative energy source for cancer cells undergoing glucose starvation. With non-essential amino acids, growth inhibition and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells induced by glucose starvation were attenuated compared with that of cells undergoing glucose starvation without amino acids, as measured by cell viability, apoptosis rates, membrane potential of mitochondria, and apoptosis-related genes. Meanwhile, both mitochondrial DNA copy number and amino acid transporter genes were increased compared with those in control cells. Non-essential amino acids prevented gastric cancer cells from glucose starvation-induced apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Laisheng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chenjing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital Binjiang Campus, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yimiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhongting
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital Binjiang Campus, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wensheng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000601:Amino Acids, Essential / Q000378:metabolism*; D017209:Apoptosis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000032:analysis*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000601:Amino Acids, Essential; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D005947:Glucose