Enzyme studies in human transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder

The activities of six enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism were estimated in tissue samples from 99 patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder undergoing transurethral resection. The results were analysed according to the stage of the disease and the malignancy grade of the carcinoma. There were statistically significant differences in the activities of three enzymes between various stages and grades. The activities of phosphofructokinase (PFK), alpha-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase (alpha-GPDH), and phosphohexose isomerase (PHI) showed significant decreases with increased stage and grade. Of the total of 64 patients with superficial disease at presentation, five developed progressive disease during the course of this investigation. The activities of the three enzymes in these patients were compared to the median values for the group of patients with superficial disease. The activity of PFK was observed to be below the median value in all the five patients whereas the activities of alpha-GPDH and PHI showed similar patterns in four of the five patients. These preliminary data indicate that, in association with established clinical parameters, the measurement of the activity of these three enzymes may prove useful in selecting patients with an increased potential for developing progressive disease.

Divergent effects of interferons on the growth of human benign prostatic hyperplasia cells in primary culture

Epithelial cells from human benign prostatic hyperplasia tissues were grown in primary cultures for up to 21 days and the effects of interferons on the growth of the cells were investigated. Interferon-alpha (Wellferon) showed growth inhibition both in the presence and in the absence of 3 x 10(-10)M testosterone propionate (TP) whereas interferon-gamma stimulated growth in a dose dependent manner under similar conditions. Interferon-beta had little effect on growth at the dose levels used in the study. The growth inhibition by interferon-alpha can be induced after stimulation of growth is achieved either with TP or with interferon-gamma. Implications of these findings for clinical use of these lymphokines is discussed.

Serum hormone levels in breast cancer patients and controls in Egypt and Great Britain. The Anglo-Egyptian Health Agreement Collaborative Study

The levels of serum prolactin, progesterone, oestradiol and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) have been measured in premenopausal and postmenopausal normal women and patients with breast cancer living in Egypt or Britain. In addition, the percentage of non-protein-bound oestradiol (free oestradiol) was determined. The breast cancer patients had attended the Tanta Cancer Institute, Cairo Cancer Institute, Guy's Hospital, London or the Western Infirmary, Glasgow. The respective control women were unaffected volunteers living in Tanta, Cairo, Guernsey or Glasgow. The concentration of serum prolactin, oestradiol and progesterone was similar for cancers and controls within, or between centres. There was no difference between patients and their respective controls in SHBG levels for the four centres. In premenopausal women a comparison of combined patient and control groups showed that women from Tanta had significantly raised SHBG levels compared with similarly combined groups from the other three centres. Egyptian women (cancers plus controls) had a higher percentage free oestradiol (1.61%) than British women (1.42%). In all four centres there was a significant linear correlation between the percentage free oestradiol and SHBG levels for pre- and postmenopausal women. The regression line for British women was significantly lower than that of Egyptian women. Thus, for a given serum SHBG level, Egyptian women have a higher free oestradiol than British women. The results may be associated with the claim that Egyptian women present with a more aggressive form of breast cancer than British women.

The effects of interferons on the activity of alpha-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase in benign prostatic hyperplasia cells in primary culture

Human benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) tissues were obtained from patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate and viable cells from these were successfully maintained in primary cultures grown on collagen gel. The prostatic origin of the cells was confirmed by the measurement of prostate specific acid phosphatase and by scanning and transmission electron microscopy before and after immunostaining with human prostate specific antigen-antibody. The cell cultures were treated with various interferons (IFNs), both in the presence and absence of testosterone propionate (TP), for 72 hours and the activities of seven enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism were estimated in the cytosolic fraction of the cells. Treatment with TP induced a significant decrease in the activity of alpha-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase (alpha-GPDH). Using this enzyme activity as a marker, the effects of various types of IFNs were investigated. IFN-alpha (wellferon) increased the activity of the enzyme both in the presence of one microgram./ml. of TP and in its absence whereas IFN-gamma inhibited the activity under similar conditions. The effect of treatment with IFN-beta in the presence of TP was biphasic in that there was an increase in the activity of the enzyme at the lowest concentration while at higher concentrations an inhibition of enzymic activity was observed. In the absence of TP IFN-beta inhibited the activity. The significance of these findings in terms of the clinical usefulness of IFNs is discussed and it is postulated that IFN-alpha (wellferon) might be effective in the treatment of metastatic carcinoma of the prostate in selected patients.

The activity of phosphohexose isomerase in primary breast carcinomas and response to chemotherapy in patients with metastatic disease

The activity of phosphohexose isomerase [PHI] was measured in 48 primary carcinomas from patients with breast cancer, and its usefulness as a predictor of response to cytotoxic drugs at the metastatic stage was evaluated. There was a statistically significant difference in the activity of PHI between responders and non-responders to these treatments. These preliminary findings are currently being evaluated in an extended series.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content of primary carcinoma and response to endocrine or cytotoxic drug therapies in patients with advanced breast cancer

The DNA content of primary carcinomas was estimated colorimetrically in 111 patients with carcinoma of the breast who subsequently developed metastatic disease. The data were analysed to investigate whether these measurements will assist clinicians in predicting: survival from mastectomy or recurrence, the likelihood of response to the first endocrine or the first cytotoxic drug therapy, duration of response amongst responders to these treatments, and time to treatment failure (TTTF). The DNA content of primary carcinomas failed to predict the clinical course of the disease for patients who underwent endocrine treatments. In patients who were treated by cytotoxic drug therapies, only the duration of response amongst responders to these therapies was significantly shorter in cases where the DNA content was high. The DNA content of carcinomas failed to give any useful information on other parameters. It is concluded that these measurements are unlikely to be of prognostic value in these cases.

The effects of the administration of tamoxifen, ethynyloestradiol, and prednisolone on the activities of certain enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in primary human breast carcinomas in vivo

Postmenopausal patients with primary breast cancer were treated with tamoxifen, ethynyloestradiol or prednisolone for up to 12 days before mastectomy and the effects of pretreatments with these drugs on the activities of phosphofructokinase (PFK), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH) and alpha-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase (alpha-GPDH) in the carcinomas were compared with age, stage and menopausal status matched untreated controls. The administration of tamoxifen or prednisolone resulted in a significant increase in the activity of alpha-GPDH and the alpha-GPDH/6PGDH ratio, whereas ethynyl-oestradiol treatment produced a significant decrease in the activity of the enzyme and the ratio. When tamoxifen and ethynyl-oestradiol were administered together, it was found that tamoxifen failed to reverse the oestrogen-induced reduction in the activity of alpha-GPDH. Since increased activity of the enzyme or a higher alpha-GPDH/6PGDH ratio are associated with a lower risk of recurrence (Deshpande et al., 1981), it is postulated that the beneficial effects of tamoxifen or prednisolone in terms of prolongation of the relapse free interval might be mediated via alterations in the activity of alpha-GPDH in micrometastases. The activities of PFK and 6PGDH remained unaffected by these treatments.

Drug effects on certain enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in MCF-7 cells in culture

The effects of treatments with ethinyl-estradiol, tamoxifen, prednisolone, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil and Adriamycin on the activities of PFK, 6PGDH, alpha-GPDH and alpha-GPDH/6PGDH ratios were investigated in MCF-7 cells in monolayer cultures. The following findings are recorded. Both ethinyl-estradiol and prednisolone failed to induce alterations in the activities of these enzymes. Tamoxifen increased the activities of PFK, alpha-GPDH and alpha-GPDH/6PGDH ratios whereas ethinyl-estradiol inhibited the tamoxifen-induced rise in the activity of PFK. Treatment with cyclophosphamide alone was without any effect but in combination with either methotrexate or 5-fluorouracil induced increases in the activities of 6PGDH and alpha-GPDH. Adriamycin at a lower dose increased the activities of 6PGDH and alpha-GPDH and the alpha-GPDH/6PGDH ratio and decreased the activity of PFK. At a higher dose level it reduced the activities of all the enzymes whilst increasing the alpha-GPDH/6PGDH ratio. These data encourage us to undertake a project to test the sensitivity of individual tumours to these drugs in vitro thereby enabling the selection of appropriate drugs for adjuvant therapy.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content of carcinomas and prognosis in human breast cancer

DNA content was estimated in 705 breast carcinomas from patients with stage I or stage II disease undergoing mastectomy, to investigate whether it would predict the clinical course of the disease. The patients were then followed for up to 84 months during which time 166 of them developed recurrences. There were no statistically significant differences in the DNA content of carcinomas between stage I and stage II patients or between those with various numbers of involved nodes. The tumours from pre-menopausal patients as a group had significantly higher DNA content than those from post-menopausal cases. There was a gradual rise in DNA content with the malignancy grade of the carcinoma which showed significant differences between Grades I and III and between II and III. Life-table analyses showed that the measurement of DNA would not be an aid to prognosis. Furthermore, when the data were stratified according to menopausal status, stage, malignancy grade or numbers of lymph nodes involved, the results indicated that these estimation do not add significantly to the information obtained through established prognostic factors. Survival data were available on III patients with recurrent disease. There were no significant differences in tumour DNA content between short- and long-term survivors. It is concluded that these measurements seem unlikely to be a prognostic factor in human breast cancer.

Enzyme studies in human prostatic tissues

The activities of six enzymes associated with carbohydrate metabolism were measured in 24 benign prostatic hyperplasias and 29 carcinomas of the prostate with the intention of investigating whether these measurements might eventually predict the clinical course of the disease. The following findings are recorded: the activities of PFK, alpha-GPDH and PHI were significantly lower in carcinomas. Comparison between well and poorly-differentiated carcinomas indicated a significantly lower activity of 6PGDH and higher alpha-GPDH/6PGDH ratios in the latter. These findings are the opposite of those observed in carcinomas of the breast.

Corticotropin and morphine interaction in the regulation of phosphofructokinase activity in rat mammary gland

The roles of corticotropin and morphine in the regulation of phosphofructokinase (PFK) activity in rat mammary glands were investigated by the administration of corticotropin, morphine and dexamethasone. Corticotropin increased the activity of PFK in the mammary glands of intact and hypophysectomised animals but was without any effect in tissues from ovariectomised and adrenalectomised animals. Morphine administration resulted in a significant decrease in the enzyme's activity in intact animals only. A combined dose of corticotropin and morphine significantly reduced the corticotropin-induced increase in the activity in both intact and hypophysectomised animals. Dexamethasone treatment resulted in a significant increase in the activity in hypophysectomised and ovariectomised plus adrenalectomised animals and morphine was able to reduce the glucocorticoid-induced rise. It is postulated that endogenous opioids might be playing a dual role in the regulation of glycolysis by inhibiting the release of corticotropin and regulating the action of glucocorticoids at the cellular level in the mammary gland.

Further observations on the hormonal regulation of alpha-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase in rat mammary gland: a possible role for prolactin and thyrotropin

The roles of prolactin and thyrotropin (TSH) in the regulation of alpha-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase (alpha-GPDH) activity in rat mammary gland were investigated by the administration of thyroid releasing hormone, bromocriptine, prolactin, TSH and triiodothyronine (T3). TRH administration failed to induce alterations in the glands from intact animals but stimulated the activity in castrated and adrenalectomized animals. Bromocriptine administration was without any effect in either group of animals. Administration of ovine prolactin to hypophysectomized rats did not affect the activity, on the other hand, treatment with either TSH or T3 resulted in a highly significant increase in the activity. Combined administration of prolactin and TSH to hypophysectomized animals showed that prolactin is capable of partially inhibiting the TSH-induced increase. It is suggested that glucocorticoids exert primary control over the enzyme's activity with the pituitary hormones only playing a permissive role in its regulation.

Evidence for the participation of opioids in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in rat mammary glands

The possible involvement of opioids in carbohydrate metabolism in rat mammary glands was investigated by studying the effects of administration of morphine and naloxone on six enzymes. Morphine inhibited phosphofructokinase (PFK) and stimulated phosphohexose isomerase (PHI) activities. Nalozone treatment alone, to both intact and ovariectomized/adrenalectomized animals, resulted in stimulation of PFK and inhibition of PHI activities. A combined dose of morphine and naloxone to intact animals showed that the opiate antagonist was able to reverse the morphine-induced changes. Evidence is presented to show that the changes observed in PHI activity may be the result of the indirect action of opioids on luteinizing hormone releasing hormone. However, the changes observed in PFK activity might be the result of direct action of opioids. Failure to observe changes in enzyme acstivities after naloxone treatment of hypophysectomized animals suggests the opiate antagonist might be acting on the pituitary gland to block the release of endorphins.

Effects of testosterone propionate and cyproterone acetate on carbohydrate metabolism in rat mammary glands

The effects of administration of testosterone propionate on the activities of seven of the enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in normal rat mammary glands were investigated and the validity of the results was confirmed by simultaneous injection of the hormone and cyproterone acetate. The administration of the androgen increased the activities of phosphofructokinase (PFK), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in glands from both intact and from ovariectomized and adrenalectomized animals. Administration of cyproterone acetate alone resulted in a significant reduction in the activities of PFK and G6PDH and when given together with the androgen it inhibited increases in the activities of PFK, G6PDH, 6PGDH and LDH induced by testosterone. It was concluded that these results did not explain the known inhibitory effects of the androgen on normal mammary gland growth and function.

Prolactin, thyrotrophin interaction in the regulation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activities in rat mammary glands

The roles of prolactin and thyrotrophin (TSH) in the regulation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH) activities in rat mammary glands were investigated by the administration of thyroid hormone-releasing hormone (TRH), bromocriptine, prolactin, TSH and triiodo-1-thyronine (T(3)). TRH failed to induce changes in the activities of these enzymes in glands from intact animals but the releasing hormone significantly increased the activities of both the enzymes in the glands of ovariectomized and adrenalectomized animals. Bromocriptine administration had no effect on the activities in both, intact and ovariectomized-adrenalectomized animals. Administration of ovine prolactin to hypophysectomized rats did not affect the activities of these enzymes. On the other hand treatment with TSH resulted in significant increases in the activities. On the other hand treatment with TSH resulted in significant increases in the activities. Similarly, administration of T(3) to these animals resulted in changes similar to those observed after TSH administration. Combined administration of prolactin and TSH showed that prolactin is capable of partially inhibiting the TSH-induced increases. It is concluded that TSH is involved in the channelling of substrates into the pathways of nucleic acid synthesis and prolactin probably plays a regulatory role in this process.