FDG-based quantitative comparison of glucose metabolism in vitro, exemplified by a head-to-head comparison between a triple-negative breast cancer cell line and a non-malignant foetal cell line.
BACKGROUND
Glucose metabolism can be studied in vitro by a variety of means, also by fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). As an example of the potential use we have compared the high glucose consumption in cancer cells and in transformed non-malignant foetal cells. The high glucose metabolism in cancer cells is not primarily for the production of energy, a large proportion is transformed to lactate only, producing two instead of potentially 32 ATP equivalents. The secreted lactate reduces the pH in the local microenvironment and gives malignant cells, more apt to thrive in hypoxic and acid environments, a competitive advantage.


OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate the use of FDG in head-to-head comparison of glucose uptake and lactate production in a highly malignant and a highly proliferative non-malignant cell line.


METHODS
Cell cultures of a foetal kidney cell line and a triple negative breast cancer cell line were incubated with FDG for one hour, washed, harvested and the radioactivity content in the cells was measured in a well counter. The lactate concentration was measured in conditioned medium.


RESULTS
The FDG uptake was consistently higher in the non-malignant foetal cell line. The levels of lactate in the conditioned medium were similar.


CONCLUSIONS
Quantitative comparison of glucose metabolism by in vitro use of FDG is a practical, cheap and rapid method. Some foetal cells have higher glucose uptake and produce as much lactate as this highly malignant cell line. This is an argument against the high glucose consumption being related solely to malignancy.
Department of Tumor biology, Oslo University Hospital, Radiumhospitalet, Oslo Cancer Cluster, Olso, Norway.
Else
E
Munthe
Department of Chemistry, Oslo University, Olso, Norway.
Patrick J
PJ
Riss
Norwegian Medical Cyclotroncenter, Oslo, Norway.
Thor A
TA
Saga
Department of psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Olso, Norway.
Ira
I
Haraldsen
Department of Tumor biology, Oslo University Hospital, Radiumhospitalet, Oslo Cancer Cluster, Olso, Norway.
Iwona
I
Grad
Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.|Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET-Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Trond V
TV
Bogsrud
Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Tore
T
Bach-Gansmo
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000378:metabolism; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000378:metabolism*; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007668:Kidney / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D064726:Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000072258:Tumor Hypoxia; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D019344:Lactic Acid; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate

FDG
; Warburg effect; glucose metabolism; in vitro; lactate