Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Effect of 6-Mercaptopurine on Carbohydrate Metabolism of Human Cancer Cells

1962; Nature Portfolio; Volume: 195; Issue: 4840 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1038/195500a0

1476-4687

Bernard J. Katchman, Robert E. Zipf, James P. Murphy,

Metabolism and Genetic Disorders

IN an investigation directed toward the evaluation of the relative effects of various chemotherapeutic chemicals or drugs on the carbohydrate metabolism of intact human cancer cells1, an unpredicted and unusual disappearance of glucose was noted when cells were incubated with 6-mercaptopurine. This effect was discernible under a variety of test conditions; incubation time varied from 1 to 3 hr.; cell concentrations varied from 60 × 106 to 230 × 106; chemical concentration varied from 5 to 50 µgm./106 cells. It was also discernible in all human cell types investigated; acute and chronic lymphatic leukæmia, acute and chronic myelogenous leukæmia, and in ascites cells from patients with carcinoma of the ovaries. It is also readily demonstrated with tumour cell suspension obtained from a transplantable (in Sprague–Dawley rats) chloromyeloid leukæmia2. In all, this effect has been found without exception in some 30 separate examinations of human cancer cells.