Propofol Disrupts Aerobic Glycolysis in Colorectal Cancer Cells via Inactivation of the NMDAR-CAMKII-ERK Pathway.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate the effect of propofol on glucose metabolism in colorectal cancer cells and in an in vivo xenograft model.

METHODS: Glucose metabolism was assessed by measuring the extracellular acidification rate in HT29 and SW480 colorectal cancer cells. Quantitative real-time PCR and western blot analyses were used to detect mRNA and protein levels, respectively. Intracellular calcium was assessed by using a Fluo-3 AM fluorescence kit. Micro-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (microPET/CT) imaging was used to analyze glucose metabolism in the tumors of the xenograft model.

RESULTS: Propofol exposure induced a dose-dependent decrease of aerobic glycolysis in HT29 and SW480 colorectal cancer cells. MicroPET/CT indicated that propofol also inhibited 18F-FDG uptake in the xenograft model. In addition, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) was also reduced by propofol dose-dependently. Propofol repressed the NMDAR-CAMKII-ERK pathway to inactivate HIF1α and therefore reduced glycolysis.

CONCLUSION: Propofol inhibited aerobic glycolysis in colorectal cancer cells through the inactivation of the NMDAR-CAMKII-ERK pathway, which may facilitate a better understanding of the use of propofol in the clinical setting.