Targeting mTOR/p70S6K/glycolysis signaling pathway restores glucocorticoid sensitivity to 4E-BP1 null Burkitt Lymphoma

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence indicates that rapamycin could be used as a potential glucocorticoid (GC) sensitizer in lymphoblastic malignancies via genetic prevention of 4E-BP1 phosphorylation. Interestingly, we found that combined rapamycin with dexamethasone can effectively reverse GC resistance in 4E-BP1 null lymphoma cells. In this study, we investigated the potential link between mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway, glycolysis, autophagy and GC resistance. METHODS: Antitumor effects of the combination of rapamycin and dexamethasone were evaluated on cell viability by MTT assay and in vivo studies, on cell cycle and apoptosis by flow cytometry, on autophagy by western blot, MDC staining and transmission electron microscopy and on cell signaling by western blot. Moreover, to test whether inhibiting glycolysis is the core mechanism in rapamycin restoring GC sensitivity, we took glycolysis inhibitor 2-deoxyglucose to replace rapamycin and then evaluated the antitumor effects in vitro. RESULTS: Raji cells are resistant to rapamycin (IC(50) > 1000 nM) or dexamethasone (IC(50) > 100 μM) treatment alone. The combination of rapamycin and dexamethasone synergistically inhibited the viability of Raji cells in vitro and in vivo by inducing caspase-dependent and -independent cell death and G(0)/G(1) cell cycle arrest. These effects were achieved by the inhibition of mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway, which led to the inhibition of glycolysis and the induction of autophagy. Pretreatment with pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk or autophagy inhibitor 3-MA failed to protect the cells from combined treatment-induced death. Glycolysis inhibitor combined with dexamethasone produced a similar antitumor effects in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of mTOR/p70S6K/glycolysis signaling pathway is the key point of therapy in reversing GC resistant in Burkitt lymphoma patients. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1535-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.