This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Suga, S. Articles by Kato, Y. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Suga, S. Articles by Kato, Y.

Relationship between Liver Aminotransferase Activity and Adrenal Cortical Hormone Metabolism in Tumor-bearing Rats¹

Department of Internal Medicine, National Nagoya Hospital, and First Department of Internal Medicine, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan

Metabolic regulation was studied in the later stage (i.e., in the catabolic stage or in the cachectic stage) of AH-130 ascites tumor-bearing rats. For this purpose, liver L-alanine: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase activity, liver L-tyrosine: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase activity, and adrenocortical hormone metabolism were investigated sequentially after tumor transplantation. With regard to the adrenocortical hormone metabolism, adrenal weight, and corticosterone content, plasma corticosterone level and liver ⁴-3-ketosteroid hydrogenase activity were estimated.

The results showed that the rise in the liver aminotransferase activity of the tumor-bearing rats was associated with an elevated plasma corticosterone level, which was ascribed to the increased hormone production, but not to the suppression of the activity of liver ⁴-3-ketosteroid hydrogenase, a rate-limiting enzyme in the inactivation processes of the hormone. It was proposed that the increased activity of the liver aminotransferases resulted in the wasting of the host animal through the conversion of body protein to carbohydrate and that cancer cachexia was partly a manifestation of such alterations of the metabolism in the tumor-bearing host. Further, studies were performed with nutritional conditions of high- and low-protein diets and fasting. The results were contrasted to the findings in the tumor-bearing animals to show the specificity of the metabolic regulation in the tumor-bearing animal.

¹ This work was supported in part by a grant from the Ministry of Education.

² Present address: 4-1-1, Sannomaru, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Japan.

Received 6/ 5/69. Accepted 9/24/69.