Cell cycle distribution and ornithine decarboxylase activity in head and neck cancer in response to enteral nutrition

Abstract

Flow cytometric DNA distribution and the activity of the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) have been measured in tumor biopsies from patients with malignant head and neck tumors before and after 6-8 days on nasogastric tube feeding. Thirteen patients were randomized to the study group (defined enteral nutrition), and 13 patients to the control group (spontaneous oral intake). The relative size of the aneuploidic compartment was significantly increased in tumor biopsies from patients on enteral nutrition compared to controls on ad libitum oral intake. The aneuploidic compartment and DNA index were unrelated to histologic differentiation and to 1 year patient survival. Poorly differentiated tumors had higher ODC activity than moderately to highly differentiated tumors. ODC activity was positively correlated (r = 0.63, P less than 0.01) to the aneuploidic compartment size in tumors. Patients with less than 1 year survival and T4 tumors had a trend to higher (P less than 0.05) ODC activity compared to those with more than 1 year survival. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that nutritional support can change DNA distribution in human cancer. Such changes may either be related to activation of cell proliferation or tumor dedifferentiation.