Stable shRNA Silencing of Lactate Dehydrogenase A (LDHA) in Human MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells Fails to Alter Lactic Acid Production, Glycolytic Activity, ATP or Survival

Background: In the US, African Americans have a high death rate from triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), characterized by lack of hormone receptors (ER, PR, HER2/ERRB2) which are otherwise valuable targets of chemotherapy. There is a need to identify novel targets that negatively impact TNBC tumorigenesis. TNBCs release an abundance of lactic acid, under normoxic, hypoxic and hyperoxic conditions; this referred to as the Warburg effect. Accumulated lactic acid sustains peri-cellular acidity which propels metastatic invasion and malignant aggressive transformation. The source of lactic acid is believed to be via conversion of pyruvate by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the last step of glycolysis, with most studies focusing on the LDHA isoform.

Materials and methods: In this study, LDHA was silenced using long-term MISSION® shRNA lentivirus in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Down-regulation of LDHA transcription and protein expression was confirmed by western blot, immunocytochemistry and qPCR. A number of parameters were measured in fully viable vector controls versus knock-down (KD) clones, including levels of lactic acid produced, glucose consumed, ATP and basic metabolic rates.

Results: The data show that lentivirus V-165 generated a knock-down clone most effective in reducing both gene and protein levels to less than 1% of vector controls. Stable KD showed absolutely no changes in cell viability, lactic acid production, ATP, glucose consumption or basic metabolic rate. Given the complete absence of impact on any observed parameter by LDH-A KD and this being somewhat contrary to findings in the literature, further analysis was required to determine why. Whole-transcriptome analytic profile on MDA-MB-231 for LDH subtypes using Agilent Human Genome 4×44k microarrays, where the data show the following component breakdown. Transcripts: 30.47 % LDHA, 69.36% LDHB, 0.12% LDHC and 0.05% LDHD.

Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of alternative isoforms of LDH in cancer cells to produce lactic acid, when LDHA is silenced or inhibited. LDHA silencing alone is not effective in hampering or inducing changes in survival, metabolism or lactic acid produced in a cell line with high concentrations of LDHB. Future research will be required to confirm effects of dual LDHA/B knockdown and further confirm that the sole source of lactic acid produced occurs through LDH (all isoforms) in breast cancer cells.