SLC38A5 promotes glutamine metabolism and inhibits cisplatin chemosensitivity in breast cancer.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Solute carrier family 38 member 5 (SLC38A5), as an amino acid transporter, play a vital role in cellular biological processes. In this study, we analyzed the function of SLC38A5 and its potential mechanism in breast cancer (BC) progression. METHODS: The expression of SLC38A5 in cancer and adjacent-normal tissues was analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western blot, and its correlation with patient prognosis was analyzed. The immunohistochemical staining of cancer tissues and adjacent-normal tissues was performed on SLC38A5-positive specimens. BC mice were successfully applied to examine the role of SLC38A5 on tumor proliferation using the CCK-8 assay. In BC cells and mouse tumor tissues, SLC38A5 and PCNA expression were determined by Western blotting. RESULTS: The study found that SLC38A5 was highly expressed in BC patients and associated with a poor survival. SLC38A5 silencing inhibited BC cell viability and glutamine uptake. In addition, SLC38A5 overexpression promoted BC cell viability via the glutamine metabolism. SLC38A5 inhibited cisplatin chemosensitivity in BC cells. Importantly, SLC38A5 silencing inhibited tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that SLC38A5 enhances BC cell viability by glutamine metabolism, inhibits the chemical sensitivity of cisplatin in BC cells, and promotes tumor growth, emphasizing the clinical relevance of SLC38A5 in BC management as a novel potential therapeutic target.