Abstract 448: Role of fructose in prostate cancer
Authors: Carreño Daniela , Corro Nestor , Arredondo Marcia , Navarro Carmen , Torres Verónica , Montecinos Viviana , Sotomayor Paula , Nualart Francisco , Cárdenas Julio Cesar , Godoy Alejandro S. 
Published: July 2017

The elevated level of glucose uptake and metabolism in cancers is the basis for the clinical localization of primary cancers and sites of metastasis by positron emission tomography (PET scanning), based on the enhanced cellular uptake of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG). In prostate cancer (CaP), however, FDG-PET imaging has shown limited clinical applicability. This striking difference suggests that CaP cells utilize hexoses other than glucose, such as fructose, as the principal energy source. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not fructose is a/the principal source of energy for CaP cells. mRNA and protein expression for the glucose transporter Glut-1 and fructose transporters Glut-2, Glut-5, Glut-7, Glut-9 and Glut-11 was analyzed in benign (PWR-1E, RWPE-1) and malignant (LNCaP, vCaP, LNCaP-C4-2, DU-145, and PC-3) human prostate cell lines using qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. In addition, Glut(s) protein expression was analyzed on a tissue microarray containing 200 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded benign and malignant human prostate tissues using immunohistochemistry. Fructose and glucose uptake was measured in vitro in benign and malignant human prostate cell lines using radiolabelled D-[U-14C]-fructose or 2-[1,2-3H]-deoxy-D-[3H]-glucose, respectively. Lastly, the effect of fructose or glucose on the levels of ATP, mitochondrial metabolism, and expression of the enzymes hexokinase-2 (HK2), type-C fructokinase (KHK-C), pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) and type-A lactate dehydrogenase (LDH-A) was analyzed in benign and malignant human prostate cell lines using chemiluminescence, seahorse, and qRT-PCR analyses, respectively. Our results indicated that expression of the fructose transporters, Glut-5 and Glut-9, was increased in CaP cell lines and in human CaP tissues compared to benign cell lines and benign prostate tissues, respectively. Glut-1 expression, however, did not differ between benign and malignant human prostate cells. Transport assays demonstrated that CaP cell lines have a higher capacity to transport fructose compared to benign cell lines. However, glucose uptake was not altered between benign and malignant human prostate cell lines. ATP levels in CaP cells were similar in the presence of fructose or glucose. Fructose, but not glucose, significantly altered mRNA expression of HK2, KHK-C, PKM2, and LDH-A in malignant human prostate cells. Taken together, our results suggest that fructose may represent an alternative energy source and may reprogram hexose metabolism in CaP cells.

Citation Format: Daniela Carreño, Nestor Corro, Marcia Arredondo, Carmen Navarro, Verónica Torres, Viviana Montecinos, Paula Sotomayor, Francisco Nualart, Julio Cesar Cárdenas, Alejandro S. Godoy. Role of fructose in prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 448. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-448