Silencing of FGF6 hampers aerobic glycolysis and angiogenesis in bladder cancer by regulating PI3K/Akt and MAPK signaling pathways

Abstract Metabolic abnormalities and uncontrolled angiogenesis are two vital features of malignant tumors. Although fibroblast growth factor 6 (FGF6) is known to promote the proliferation and migration of bladder cancer (BC) cells, its influences on aerobic glycolysis and angiogenesis in BC remain unclear. Gene expression at messenger RNA and protein levels were examined by reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses, respectively. Lactate production and glucose uptake in BC cells were evaluated by performing aerobic glycolysis assays. A vasculogenic mimicry assay was executed for assessing the angiogenesis of BC cells. The viability, migration, and angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) cocultured with supernatants of BC cells were detected using 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, wound healing assay, and tube formation assay. It was found that FGF6 displayed a high level in BC cell lines. Silencing of FGF6 reduced the levels of lactate production, glucose uptake, and the expression of angiogenic factors and glycolytic enzymes in BC cells, which also inhibited the viability and migration of HUVECs. In addition, FGF6 depletion or aerobic glycolysis inhibitor 2‐deoxy‐ d ‐glucose treatment decreased the total branching length and intersection number of both BC cells and HUVECs. Moreover, glucose or lactate treatment reversed FGF6‐induced suppression of cell viability, migration, tube formation, and vasculogenic mimicry. The activation of the phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) and mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways was blocked by silenced FGF6. Furthermore, PI3K/Akt inhibitor (LY2940002) and p38‐MAPK inhibitor (SB203580) inhibited the levels of aerobic glycolysis‐related proteins. In conclusion, FGF6 knockdown suppressed aerobic glycolysis, thereby inhibiting angiogenesis in BC via regulation of the PI3K/Akt and MAPK signaling pathways.