Serum levels of homocysteine in mice with malignant tumours.
BACKGROUND
Oxygen radicals and malondialdehyde (MDA) are tumourigenic. Homocysteine generates oxygen radicals. The possibility exists that hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk factor for cancer.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate if serum levels of homocysteine and MDA are elevated in mice with malignant tumours.


METHODS
Levels of serum homocysteine and MDA were estimated in 22 control and 22 tumour-bearing Balb/c mice.


RESULTS
Serum homocysteine levels in control and tumour-bearing mice were 3.01+/-0.26 mumol/L and 4.05+/-0.46 mumol/L, respectively. The serum levels of MDA were 6.23+/-0.72 nmol/mL and 11.60+/-1.72 nmol/mL, respectively, in control and tumour-bearing mice.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that cancer in mice is associated with an increase in serum levels of homocysteine and the lipid peroxidation product MDA. It is, however, not known if this rise in homocysteine and MDA is due to cancer or if this rise causes cancer.
Qureshi
Mabood
M
Departments of Pathology.
Zhang
Xueshu
X
Ul-Haq
Inam
I
Xiang
Jim
J
Prasad
Kailash
K