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Sphingolipid Metabolism in Leukemic Leukocytes¹

Laboratory of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness, the Medicine Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20014, and Department of Organic Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Sciences, Rehovoth, Israel

The activity of several enzymes in white blood cells, which catalyze the hydrolysis of sphingolipids and of p-nitrophenyl-phosphate, was determined in leukocyte preparations obtained from hematologically normal individuals and was contrasted with the level of activity of these enzymes in preparations from patients with acute and chronic leukemia and other diseases. A marked increase in the activity of glucocerebroside-cleaving enzyme was observed in leukocyte preparations from the patients with acute and chronic myelogenous leukemia compared with the controls and patients with lymphocytic leukemia. Sphingomyelin-cleaving enzyme activity was elevated in leukocytes obtained from some of the patients with myelogenous leukemia. Galactocerebroside-cleaving enzyme activity and acid phosphatase were not elevated in cells obtained from any of the patients. The major portion of the glucocerebroside-cleaving activity of white blood cells was associated with the acid-phosphatase-rich subcellular granular fraction.

¹ A portion of this work was performed under Section 104 (K) of Public Law 480, 83rd Congress, Agreement No. 42515.

² Address requests for reprints to Dr. Roscoe O. Brady, NIH, Bethesda, Md. 20014.

Received 1/ 4/67. Accepted 3/28/67.

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