[Biochemical features of the liver of high and low cancer mouse strains and primary spontaneous hepatomas]

Abstract

Sex differences in development of spontaneous liver tumors were studied in mice of CBA strain. Content of mitochondrial proteins, activities of cytochrome oxidase, glucokinase, hexokinase as well as subcellular distribution of hexokinase were also studied in primary hepatomas and in normal liver tissue of the mice of CBA and C3HA strains. Liver tumors occurred in males of CBA strain 7-fold more frequently than in females. Activities of hexokinase, glucokinase, cytochrome oxidase and content of mitochondrial proteins were distinctly alterep both in primary spontaneous hepatomas and in transplantable strains. But, contrary to the transplantable tumors, in spontaneous hepatomas hexokinase, associated with mitochondria, was not found. Decrease in activities of glucokinase and cytochrome oxidase was observed at the early stages of development of CBA strain in males as compared with females of CBA and males of C3HA strains, i.e. distinct decrease in several functional patterns of liver tissue was observed. Subcutaneous administration of orthoamine azotoluene into mice of the C3HA strain caused alteration in activity of these enzymes from liver tissue, which was typical for hepatomas, already at the early steps of development.