Abstract
Background: Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is the most prevalent form of lung cancer, accounting for approximately 85% of all lung cancer cases and resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have demonstrated that 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin-D3 (vitamin D) exhibited anti-cancer activity against breast and prostate cancer.
Objectives: The aim of the current study is to investigate the effect of vitamin D on NSCLC and its underlying mechanism.
Methods: The effects of vitamin D on stemness maintenance and the Warburg effect in NSCLC cells were investigated both in vitro and in vivo.
Results and Discussion: In vitro experiments revealed that vitamin D inhibited glycolysis and stemness maintenance in A549 and NCI-H1975 cells. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that vitamin D attenuated the expression of metabolism-related enzymes associated with the Warburg effect (GLUT1, LDHA, HK2, and PKM2). In addition, vitamin D down-regulated the expression of stemness-related genes (Oct-4, SOX-2, and Nanog) and the expression of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR.
Conclusion: Overall, these findings suggest that vitamin D suppresses the Warburg effect and stemness maintenance in NSCLC cells via the inactivation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, thereby inhibiting the progression of NSCLC. The current study indicates that vitamin D is a potential candidate in therapeutic strategies against NSCLC.
Keywords: 1, 25-dihydroxy-vitamin-D3, non-small cell lung cancer, Warburg effect, cancer stem cell, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, stemness maintenance.
Graphical Abstract
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