1979 Volume 8 Issue 1 Pages 99-103
Newborn rats were inoculated with a fibrosarcoma cell line derived from spontaneously transformed fetal lung cells in culture. Tumor-bearing rats were sacrificed at several stages of tumor growth along with age-matched normal controls. Assays were carried out on liver and tumor tissue for the following: glucosamine-6-P synthetase (Lglutamine: D-fructose 6-P aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.16.), UDP-GlcNAc 2'-epimerase (UDPN-acetylglucosamine 2'-epimerase, EC 5.1.3.-).
Specific activities of glucosamine-6-P synthetase and UDP-GlcNAc 2'-epimerase were signiflcantry increased in the livers of tumor-bearing rats. The increase in specific activities of the two hepatic enzymes were found to be correlated with tumor size. Tumor tissue had an equivalent glucosamine-6-P synthetase specific activity to normal liver, while UDP-GlCNAc 2'-epimerase activity was 18% that found in normal liver. Seromucoid concentration increased with the growth of the tumor.
