Gallic acid markedly stimulates GLUT1-mediated glucose uptake by the AsPC-1 pancreatic cancer cell line.

Phenolic acids are recognized as chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents. Altered glucose and glutamine metabolism are recognized hallmarks of cancer cells. We aimed to test the influence of phenolic acids on glucose and glutamine cellular uptake by a breast (MCF-7) and a pancreatic (AsPC-1) cancer cell line. Several phenolic acids (caffeic, ferrulic, proctocatechuic, coumaric and gallic acid) affected 3 H-glutamine and/or 3 H-deoxy-d-glucose ( 3 H-DG) uptake. Gallic acid (100 µM) caused a 3-fold increase in 3 H-DG uptake by AsPC-1 cells, associated with a 3.7-fold increase in lactic acid production. Gallic acid stimulated GLUT1-mediated 3 H-DG uptake and increased the affinity of this transporter for 3 H-DG. We further verified that gallic acid does not change GLUT1 transcription rates and cellular redox state and that its effect does not involve PI3K, mTOR and MAP kinases and is not associated with a proproliferative effect. Gallic acid also increased 3 H-DG uptake by MCF-7 cells, although less potently. Further investigation is necessary to elucidate the cellular pathways involved in this effect of gallic acid.