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Ether-Lipids, -Glycerol Phosphate Dehydrogenase, and Growth Rate in Tumors and Cultured Cells¹

Department of Biochemistry, George Washington University Medical School, Washington, D. C. 20005 [B. V. H., J. M. B.], and Department of Biochemistry, Howard University, Washington, D. C. 20001 [H. P. M.]

Ether-lipid levels and -glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase activity have been measured in a number of transplantable hepatomas and cell cultures in order to investigate a possible correlation between the two. The levels of ether-lipids were highest in the most rapidly growing hepatomas and were progressively lower in the less rapidly growing and more highly differentiated tumors. This increase in ether-lipid level was generally associated with an inverse relationship in -glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase levels so that the slowest growing, more differentiated tumors contained the highest amounts of the enzyme. In all the cell cultures, the levels of ether-lipids were elevated as compared to normal tissues, and the cellular glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase activities were as low as in the fastest growing tumors in vivo. Among the cell cultures were those derived from both normal and neoplastic tissues as well as a line derived by oncogenic virus transformation. The results indicate a correlation between increase in glyceryl-ether content and decrease in glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase levels. The relationship of these results to previous studies on aerobic glycolysis and the significance of these parameters to the neoplastic process is discussed.

¹ Supported by USPHS Grant No. HEO5062.

Received 12/20/71. Accepted 4/ 6/72.