METABOLIC PATTERNS IN MALIGNANT GLIOMAS

Changes of mitochondrial and cytoplasm tumor metabolism were studied i n malignant gliomas and normal cortex probes in vitro. By spectrophoto metric methods marker enzymes of different mitochondrial (whole respir atory chain, citrate acid cycle, fatty oxidation) and cytoplasm (glyco lysis, pentose phosphate shunt) metabolic energy pathways were analyse d. Generally, the activities of intramitochondrial key enzymes were si gnificantly decreased in gliomas when compared with enzyme activities of normal cortex tissue (p < 0.01). Glycolytic enzymes and a represent ative of the pentose phosphate shunt were unchanged or increased. Rati os of marker enzymes of the glycolytic pathway (lactate dehydrogenase) and glycose-6-P dehydrogenase revealed a significant difference betwe en glioblastomas (p < 0.05) and grade III (p < 0.05) tumors in compari son to normal astrocytic tissue and astrocytomas WHO grade II. Thus, b iochemical analyses allow metabolic grading of gliomas in vitro and ma y be a useful tool for understanding tumor biology.