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Effects of Biguanides on Growth and Glycolysis of Bladder and Colon Cancer Cells.

By: Michael A Lea, Haneulsol Kim, Charles desBORDES

Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, U.S.A. lea@njms.rutgers.edu.
2018-07-09; doi: 10.21873/anticanres.12819

Abstract

Background/ Aim: There is evidence that inhibitory effects of biguanides on oxidative phosphorylation require uptake of biguanides into the mitochondria. In this study the action of two biguanides that enter the mitochondria (buformin and phenformin) were compared with the action of two biguanides with poor uptake (phenyl biguanide and proguanil).

Materials

Effects on growth, glucose uptake and medium acidification were studied with two human colon cancer cells and seven bladder cancer cell lines.

Results

Growth inhibition was greatest with proguanil followed by phenformin, buformin and phenylbiguanide. In contrast, increased glucose uptake and acidification of the medium was observed with buformin and phenformin, with no change or less acidification of the medium with phenyl biguanide and proguanil.

Conclusion

The effect of biguanides on glucose metabolism requires mitochondrial uptake while the mechanism for growth inhibition by biguanides remains to be defined.