Pantoprazole inhibits human gastric adenocarcinoma SGC-7901 cells by downregulating the expression of pyruvate kinase M2.

The Warburg effect is important in tumor growth. The human M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) is a key enzyme that regulates aerobic glycolysis in tumor cells. Recent studies have demonstrated that PKM2 is a potential target for cancer therapy. The present study investigated the effects of pantoprazole (PPZ) treatment and PKM2 transfection on human gastric adenocarcinoma SGC-7901 cells in vitro. The present study revealed that PPZ inhibited the proliferation of tumor cells, induced apoptosis and downregulated the expression of PKM2, which contributes to the current understanding of the functional association between PPZ and PKM2. In summary, PPZ may suppress tumor growth as a PKM2 protein inhibitor.