Cell Respiration Studies

Abstract

The observation by Warburg (1) that the amount of oxygen used by a slice of Flexner-Jobling rat carcinoma was less than that absorbed by such normal tissues as liver or kidney, has opened the way for the further study of the metabolism of tumor and other rapidly growing cells. The immature white blood ceils of myelogenous leucemia resemble somewhat those of the malignant neoplasms in their growth rate and behavior, and response to exposures to Roentgen rays. They serve as excellent material for the study of oxygen consumption because of their availability and the ease with which they can be manipulated in vitro.Patients with leucemia frequently have an elevated basal metabolic rate, particularly when the blood contains many immature cells (Riddle and Sturgis (2)). The possibility of a causal relationship between the rate of oxygen absorption by the patient and the degree of maturation of the blood cells presents a problem toward the solution of which this study of cell respiration in the microspirometer offers some data.The studies reported here include observations on the blood of normal individuals, a patient with a leucocytosis from sepsis, and patients with chronic myelogenous leucemia in various stages of the disease.

The Metabolism of Normal and Leukemic Leukocytes

“…The metabolism of normal white blood cells is similar to that of relatively mature cells from patients with leukemia, but more active, as regards both oxygen and sugar consumption. 5. Slight degrees of cell injury exert a marked effect on the rate of oxygen consumption, much less on the rate of sugar consumption.…”

A new method for the detection of microorganisms in blood cultures: Part I. Theoretical analysis and simulation of blood culture processes

“…Because blood culture systems are generally closed, the metabolic products from the organisms accumulate in the vial and distribute between the vapour (head space), the liquid (culture media and plasma), and the solid (immobilized indicator, particulates) phases present. The particulates in this case are primarily the red blood cells (RBCs), although initially there will also be white blood cells, platelets, and microorganisms which are capable of respiration (Daland and Isaacs, 1927; Kitchens and Newcomb, 1968; Andersen and Vonmeyenburg, 1980). As time evolves the number of contaminant organisms will increase and give rise to increasing concentrations of their metabolic products which interact with different blood components.…”

A Comparison of Treated and Untreated Cases of Cancer of the Breast

“…SUMMARY A study has been made of 230 cases of untreated breast cancer. The natural history of the disease as revealed by these cases has been compared with an earlier series by Daland (1927).…”

“…In Fig. 1 the annual survival rates from onset of symptoms have been compared with those reported by Daland (1927) and it will be noted that the two groups of cases show approximately identical trends.…”