Enhanced citrate synthase activity in human pancreatic cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Assuming that a high flux of carbohydrate is strictly connected with lipid synthesis in neoplastic cells, one can hypothesize that the activity of citrate synthase, which plays an important role in glucose to lipid conversion, is enhanced in pancreatic cancer. The aim of the present study was to verify this hypothesis.


METHODS
The activity of citrate synthase (as well as lactate and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenases) was measured using tissue extract prepared from specimens (pancreatic cancer and control specimens taken from the adjacent pancreatic normal tissue) obtained from 24 patients with ductal carcinoma who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy or total pancreatomy.


RESULTS
The average of citrate synthase activity in human pancreatic ductal carcinoma is significantly higher comparing with adjacent nonneoplastic tissue: 40.2 +/- 27.2 and 18.3 +/- 13.6 nmole/min/mg protein, respectively (P = 0.001). The lactate dehydrogenase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in human pancreatic ductal carcinoma were also higher than in adjacent nonneoplastic tissues.


CONCLUSIONS
It is likely that enhanced citrate synthase activity contributes to the conversion of glucose to lipids in pancreatic cancer providing substrate for membrane lipids synthesis.
Schlichtholz
Beata
B
Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Turyn
Jacek
J
Goyke
Elzbieta
E
Biernacki
Maciej
M
Jaskiewicz
Kazimierz
K
Sledzinski
Zbigniew
Z
Swierczynski
Julian
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D008055:Lipids; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase; D005947:Glucose