Apatinib regulates the glycolysis of vascular endothelial cells through PI3K/AKT/PFKFB3 pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma

Figure 1 Enhanced glycolysis activity of vascular endothelial cells after co-culture with liver cancer cells. A: Schematic diagram of co-culture of liver cells or liver cancer cells with vascular endothelial cells (VECs); B: Expression analysis of key glycolytic enzymes in VECs co-cultured with liver cells or liver cancer cells using Western blotting; C: Quantification of glucose consumption, pyruvate synthesis, lactate release, and adenosine triphosphate production during glycolysis in VECs; D: Evaluation of the glycolytic potential and oxidative phosphorylation efficiency of VECs when co-cultured with either liver cells or liver cancer cells, utilizing extracellular acidification rate and oxygen consumption rate. ^cP < 0.001. HUVEC: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells; ALDOA: Aldolase A, PGK: Phosphoglycerate kinase, ENO: Enolase, LDHA: Lactate dehydrogenase A; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; ATP: Adenosine triphosphate; ECAR: Extracellular acidification rate; 2DG: 2-deoxy-D-glucose; OCR: Oxygen consumption rate; FCCP: Carbonylcyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone.