Salvianolic acid B inhibits glycolysis in oral squamous cell carcinoma via targeting PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α signaling pathway

Our previous study demonstrated a progressive glycolytic perturbation during the course of DMBA-induced hamster oral carcinogenesis, which was attenuated by salvianolic acid B (Sal-B) treatment along with decreased incidences of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) formation. It was proposed that metabolic modulation should be an additional mode of action attributable to Sal-B’s anti-carcinogenic activity. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Sal-B-induced metabolic modulation function remained elusive. In the present study, we performed next-generation sequencing (NGS) profiling in the same animal model and found Sal-B treatment evoked a general downregulation of the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K) and hypoxia inducible factor 1α subunit (HIF-1α) signaling pathways, which might contribute to Sal-B’s metabolic modulation activity. The inhibitory effects of Sal-B on aerobic glycolysis, as well as PI3K/AKT and HIF-1α signaling pathways, were validated in two well-characterized OSCC cell lines (Cal27 and HN4), and premalignant oral Leuk1 cells and Sal-B treatment led to elevation of the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), increased cell apoptosis, and reduced abilities of colony formation. Rescue assays suggested that compared with Sal-B treatment group, Akt or hif-1a overexpression attenuated the inhibitory effect of Sal-B on glucose uptake and intracellular lactate level. Taken together, our results suggested that Sal-B modulated aberrant glucose metabolism via the PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α signaling pathways, which might contribute to the anti-carcinogenic activity of Sal-B.