Abstract:
Background: Cancer cells adopt glycolytic pathways to generate ATP and produce large amounts of ribose sugar as source for nucleotide biosynthesis. The process known as metabolism reprogramming results and the process increases glycolytic enzymes expression and activation. The metabolism reprogramming is through the pentose phosphate pathway and generates nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) to reduce oxidative stress in advance cancers. Downregulation of glycolytic enzymes miRNAs may explain the metabolism reprogramming in breast cancer patients.
Aim: Current study aims to investigate glycolytic enzymes miRNAs expression pattern and oxidative stress markers in breast cancer patients.
Method: Frozen archival serum samples from breast cancer and apparently healthy patients were retrieved from -80 oC freezers for analyses. Total RNA was extracted from the serum with commercial kit and microRNA levels of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) were determined using RT-qPCR. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels was determined in serum using ELISA technique.
Results: The miRNAs levels of G6PD and PKM2 of the breast cancer patients were significantly lowered than the apparently healthy control group. Furthermore, breast cancer patients showed reduced serum MDA levels than the control counterpart.
Conclusion: The current study reports for the first time reduced G6PD and PKM2 miRNAs, miRNA 122 and miRNA 326, respectively and serum MDA levels in Ghanaian breast cancer patients.
