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Energy Metabolism in Thymic Lymphocytes of Normal and Leukemic AKR Mice¹

Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233 [F. G., L. A. M.], and Department of Biochemistry, University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60612 [E. E. L., N. C. G., R. G. K.]

When incubated for 24 hr in medium capable of supporting mitogen-induced blastogenesis, thymocytes from young, adult nonleukemic, and leukemic AKR/J mice could utilize both glucose and fatty acids to satisfy their energy requirements. At least 95% of the glucose utilized by these cells was converted to extracellular lactic acid. The rate of lactic acid production was a function of age and of the onset of leukemogenesis, i.e., highest in thymocytes from leukemic mice, moderate in young mice, and lowest in adult, nonleukemic mice. These rates paralleled basal, nonstimulated rates of incorporation of [methyl-³H]thymidine into nucleic acid, and similar correlations could be made for changes in the specific activities of several glycolytic enzymes. The mitogen, concanavalin A, at concentrations capable of producing blast formation in the thymus cells stimulated lactic acid and CO₂ production in all three groups of mice. The exogenous addition of physiological levels of lactate to the culture medium did not affect the production of lactic acid. Oleic acid, however, was oxidized preferentially in the presence of glucose and was capable of inhibiting glycolysis in normal but not in leukemic thymocytes. Furthermore, oleate utilization was increased in the presence of concanavalin A and was higher in thymus cells from leukemic mice than it was in normal thymocytes. Physiological levels of oleate were used extensively by normal and leukemic cells, indicating that fatty acids are an important energy source for thymus cells.

¹ Supported by USPHS Grant CA-21631 from the National Cancer Institute and by AM-19912.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of Biochemistry, University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School, 2020 West Ogden Avenue, Chicago, Ill. 60612.

Received 8/29/77. Accepted 1/18/78.