It is proposed that the purine nucleotide cycle and glutamine oxidation play a key role in the adaptation of tumour energetics to the transition from the anaerobic to the aerobic state. In support of this proposal, it was found that glutamine and inosine markedly increase total adenylates in the presence of oxygen, whereas the addition of hadacidin abolishes this effect. Transition of the cells from the anaerobic to the aerobic state, and vice versa, in the presence of glutamine plus inosine revealed that there are two components of the adenine nucleotide pool, one which is stable and the other which is variable and responds to the aerobic-anaerobic transition. This part of the pool undergoes degradation or resynthesis owing to activation of the enzymes of the purine nucleotide cycle. Resynthesis of the pool is accompanied by substantial net utilization of aspartate, which is produced by glutamine oxidation. This is supported by the experiments in which the cells were alternately incubated with nitrogen or oxygen, demonstrating that hadacidin significantly decreased utilization of aspartate and regeneration of ATP owing to inhibition of adenylosuccinate synthase.
A comparative study revealed that Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells use glutamine plus inosine for regeneration of adenylates via the purine nucleotide cycle, whereas AS 30D hepatoma cells use adenosine instead. This observation can be correlated with the very low production of aspartate from glutamine in hepatoma cells. Although glucose is an important energy fuel for EAC, it cannot maintain a high enough level of adenylates unless glutamine is also present. Kinetic analysis of hydrolysis of ATP and ADP in the presence of rotenone suggests that deamination of AMP does not maintain a high enough ATP/ADP ratio and probably does not act as energy buffer after inhibition of cell respiration. It seems that, compared with normal cells, malignant cells have the ability for a very rapid regeneration of adenylates. It is proposed that instability of the adenine nucleotide pool, owing to frequent aerobic-anaerobic transitions, represents an essential feature of neoplasia, with profound impact on the whole metabolism of tumour cells.
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