Gabapentin Can Suppress Cell Proliferation Independent of the Cytosolic Branched-Chain Amino Acid Transferase 1 (BCAT1).

ABSTRACT: The metabolism of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) has recently been implicated in the growth of several cancer cell types. Gabapentin, a synthetic amino acid, is commonly used in high concentrations in this context to inhibit the cytosolic branched-chain amino acid transferase (BCAT1) enzyme. Here, we report that 10 mM gabapentin reduces the growth of HCT116 cells, which have an active branched-chain amino acid transferase but express very low levels of BCAT1, and presumably rely on the mitochondrial BCAT2 enzyme. Gabapentin did not affect transamination of BCAA to branched-chain keto acids (BCKA) in HCT116 cells, nor the reverse formation of BCAA from BCKA, indicating that the branched-chain amino acid transaminase is not inhibited. Moreover, the growth-inhibitory effect of gabapentin c

SUBMITTER: Grankvist N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6528808 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature