Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027651 (tumor)
 685,946 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Nutrients as therapy for patients with cancer are important as adjunctive therapy, i.e., adequate nutrition may be important for the success of whatever form of therapy is administered. Diets deficient in certain amino acids have some selectivity when tested against experimental tumors propagated in vivo. Such diets have had limited clinical trial and have been characterized by poor patient acceptance. Enzymes that produce deficiencies of certain amino acids, e.g., asparaginase, glutaminase, methioninase appear to offer a more reasonable approach to development of selective amino acid deficiencies in man. Trace metals in excessive amounts may be toxic or carcinogenic to the host. Two heavy metal salts, Cis-diamine dichloroplatinum and gallium nitrate, have recently been shown to have anti-neoplastic effects in man. There is no conclusive evidence that vitamins, administered in large doses, have significant antineoplastic effects although large doses of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B12 have been used for this purpose. In contrast, certain vitamin analogs such as folate antimetabolites can cause tumor regression and are useful clinical treatment. An enzyme, carboxypeptidase G1, by splitting naturally occurring folates, may also have promise as a method of producing enzymic folate deficiency.
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PMID:Nutrients, vitamins and minerals as therapy. 37 10

Three enzymes which catalyze the hydrolysis of L-asparagine have been identified in extracts of Citrobacter freundii. One of these (asparaginase-glutaminase (EC 3.5.1.1) also shows substantial glutaminase activity. This enzyme is extremely labile, is sensitive to inactivation by p-chloromercuribenzoate, and is not protected by dithiothreitol. A second enzyme (asparaginase B) is also sensitive to mercurials but is protected from inactivation by dithiothreitol. This enzyme has a relatively low affinity for L-asparagine (Km = 1.7-10(-3) M). The third enzyme (asparaginase A) is insensitive to inactivation by mercurials, is stable upon long term storage and has a relatively high affinity for L-asparagine (Km = 2.9-10(-5) M). This enzyme has been purified to homogeneity and has a molecular weight of approx. 140 000; the subunit weight being approx. 33 000. The C. freundii asparaginase A produced significant increases in the survival time of C3H/HE mice carrying the 6C3HED lymphoma tumor.
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PMID:L-Asparagainases from Citrobacter freundii. 40 50

The effect of L-glutamine and L-asparagine depletion by Acinetobacter L-glutaminase-L-asparaginase on the toxicity and antitumor activity of L-(alphaS,5S)-alpha-amino-3-chloro-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazoleacetic acid (NSC-163501) was tested in mice. The LD50 of six daily doses of NSC-163501 in BDF1 female mice decreased from 7.5 to 0.3 mg/kg/day by combination treatment with the enzyme. Enzyme therapy also decreased the dose of NSC-163501 needed for maximal prolongation of survival in these mice inoculated with L1210 leukemia. Nevertheless, the combination did not prolong survival in L1210-bearing mice beyond that of higher doses of NSC-163501 alone. In contrast, the combination of enzyme plus NSC-163501 inhibited the growth of established sc implanted Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in ICRf male mice much more than either agent alone. Treatment with Acinetobacter L-glutaminase-L-asparaginase decreased the L-asparagine and L-glutamine levels in acid extracts of the Ehrlich tumor. NSC-163501 did not affect the amide levels or alter the decrease produced by enzyme therapy.
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PMID:Enhanced effect of an L-glutamine antagonist, L-(alphaS,5S)-alpha-amino-3-chloro-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazoleacetic acid, by Acinetobacter L-glutaminase-L-asparaginase. 46 50

Depletion of glutamine with Acinetobacter glutaminase:asparaginase promotes melphalan uptake by and cytotoxicity to murine L1210 cells in vitro. Combined treatment of tumor bearing mice with these two agents increases the therapeutic response.
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PMID:Enhancement of melphalan therapy with glutaminase:asparaginase. 72 23

Dose intensification of chemotherapy is thought to increase survival. With recent advances in hemopoietic cell modulators such as granulocyte colony stimulating factor, the limiting toxicity of intensifying chemotherapeutic regimens has become the severity of the associated enterocolitis. In animal models, glutamine protects the host from methotrexate-induced enterocolitis. This study evaluates the effects of a glutamine-supplemented diet on the tumoricidal effectiveness of methotrexate. Sarcoma-bearing Fisher 344 rats (n = 30) were pair-fed an isocaloric elemental diet containing 1% glutamine or an isonitrogenous amount of glycine beginning on day 25 of the study. Rats from each group received two intraperitoneal injections of methotrexate (5 mg/kg) or saline on days 26 and 33 of the study. On day 40, rats were killed, tumor volume and weight were recorded, and tumor glutaminase activity and tumor morphometrics were measured. Blood was taken for arterial glutamine content, complete blood count, and blood culture. The gut was processed for glutaminase activity and synthesis phase of the deoxyribonucleic acid. In rats receiving methotrexate, the tumor volume loss was nearly doubled when glutamine was added to the diet. Significant differences in tumor glutaminase activity and morphometrics were not detected. The toxicity to the host was ameliorated. Significantly increased synthesis phase of deoxyribonucleic acid of the whole jejunum, decreased bacteremia, "sepsis," and mortality were demonstrated. Glutamine supplementation enhances the tumoricidal effectiveness of methotrexate while reducing its morbidity and mortality in this sarcoma rat model.
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PMID:Glutamine facilitates chemotherapy while reducing toxicity. 128 30

1. The effect of age and Walker 256 tumor on maximal phosphate-dependent glutaminase activity of rat immune tissue was determined. Glutaminase is a key enzyme in the metabolism of glutamine, an important fuel for normal and neoplastic cells. 2. Maximal activity of phosphate-dependent glutaminase was measured in immune tissues and tumors of Walker 256 tumor-bearing young (28 days old), mature (3 months old) and aged (15 months old) Wistar rats. The following tissues were examined: thymus, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes and tumor. 3. Tumor implantation for 14 days reduced glutaminase activity in the thymus and mesenteric lymph nodes. Tumor glutaminase activity was lowest in aged rats and highest in the mature group. 4. Comparison of glutaminase activity in immune and tumor tissues suggested the flux of glutamine between these tissues in the 3 groups. Glutaminase activity was 2.8-fold higher in immune tissues in aged rats (2.58 +/- 0.35 vs 0.93 +/- 0.16 mumol min-1 g tissue wet weight-1, mean +/- SEM, 5 rats), and 1.9- (4.14 +/- 0.47 vs 8.36 +/- 1.29 mumol min-1 g tissue wet weight-1, mean +/- SEM, 5 rats) and 2.5-fold increased (2.41 +/- 0.20 vs 5.92 +/- 0.22 mumol min-1 g tissue wet weight-1, mean +/- SEM, 5 rats) in tumor tissue in the mature and young groups, respectively. These results suggest the deviation of glutamine flux from defense cells to the neoplastic tissue in tumor-bearing young and mature rats and may partially explain the slow cancer growth in elderly patients.
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PMID:Effect of aging on the glutaminase activity of neoplastic and immune tissues. 134 14

Glutamine synthetase and glutaminase activities in human cirrhotic liver tissues and hepatocellular carcinomas were determined for comparison with normal liver tissues. In hepatocellular carcinoma, glutamine synthetase activity was approximately one-third of that in normal liver, whereas no detectable change in the enzyme activity was observed in cirrhotic liver. Phosphate-dependent and phosphate-independent glutaminase activities were increased approximately 20-fold and 6-fold, respectively, both in the carcinoma and cirrhotic liver compared with those from normal liver, Oxypolarographic tests showed that the rate of glutamine oxidation in the tumor and cirrhotic liver mitochondria was about 5-fold higher than that in the liver mitochondria. The rate of glutamate oxidation in the liver mitochondria was comparable to that in the cirrhotic liver and tumor mitochondria. Glutamine oxidation was inhibited by prior incubation of the mitochondria with 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine, which inhibited mitochondrial glutaminase. These results indicate that the product of glutamine hydrolysis, glutamate, is catabolized in the tumor and cirrhotic liver mitochondria to supply ATP. In the liver and cirrhotic liver mitochondria, glutamate was oxidized via the routes of transamination and deamination. On the other hand, glutamate oxidation was initiated preferentially via a transamination pathway in the tumor mitochondria.
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PMID:Glutaminase and glutamine synthetase activities in human cirrhotic liver and hepatocellular carcinoma. 134 87

This study evaluated the effects of supplemental dietary glutamine (GLN) on methotrexate sodium concentrations in tumors and serum of sarcoma-bearing rats following the initiation of methotrexate. After randomization to a GLN diet (+GLN) or GLN-free diet (-GLN), tumor-bearing rats received 20 mg/kg of methotrexate sodium by intraperitoneal injection. The provision of supplemental GLN in the diet increased methotrexate concentrations in tumor tissues at 24 and 48 hours (38.0 +/- 0.20 nmol/g for the +GLN group vs 28.8 +/- 0.10 nmol/g for the -GLN group and 35.6 +/- 0.18 nmol/g for the +GLN group vs 32.5 +/- 0.16 nmol/g for the -GLN group, respectively). Arterial methotrexate levels were elevated only at 48 hours (0.147 +/- 0.007 microns/L for the +GLN group vs 0.120 +/- 0.006 microns/L for the -GLN group). Tumor morphometrics were not different between the groups but significantly greater tumor volume loss was seen even at 24 hours (-2.41 +/- 1.3 cm3 for the +GLN group vs -0.016 +/- 0.9 cm3 for the -GLN group). Tumor glutaminase activity was suppressed in both groups at 48 hours, but more so in the +GLN group (0.94 +/- 0.13 mumol/g per hour for the +GLN group vs 1.47 +/- 0.22 mumol/g per hour for the -GLN group). This study suggests that GLN may have therapeutic as well as nutritional benefit in oncology patients.
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PMID:Effect of supplemental dietary glutamine on methotrexate concentrations in tumors. 144 93

The anti-neoplastic activity of bacterial glutaminase on Ehrlich ascites tumor-bearing mice was studied by determining the reduction in the tumor cell count and extension of life span of the host after therapy. The therapeutic effect of glutaminase in relation to change in activity of glutaminolytic enzymes (glutamine amidohydrolase (GNase) and glutamine aminotransferase (GAt)) in liver and plasma were also studied. Bacterial glutaminase was shown to be effective in lowering the tumor burden with increased life span of the host. Glutamine amidohydrolase activity in the liver and plasma was raised significantly with increased tumor burden, whereas GAt activity remained unchanged. Following glutaminase therapy, this high level of GNase activity decreased in comparison to the untreated control. These changes were not seen when normal mice were treated with the same enzyme. Thus alteration in the enzyme levels, particularly GNase was observed to have some correlation with progression of the tumor growth.
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PMID:Investigation on glutamine amidohydrolase (EC 3.5.1.2) and glutamine aminotransferase (EC 2.5.1.15) activity in liver and plasma of EAC-bearing mice following glutaminase therapy. 145 Nov 3

The effects of glutamine-enriched total parenteral nutrition (TPN+GLN) were studied in tumor-bearing rats because glutamine can benefit host tissues but also may stimulate tumor growth. Rats were implanted with the methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma (MCA sarcoma) and were studied when the tumor constituted less than 5% of carcass weight (small tumor) and when the tumor constituted 10% of carcass weight (large tumor). Provision of 20% of TPN protein as glutamine produced a significant increase in the arterial glutamine level and maintained the skeletal muscle intracellular glutamine concentration (2.02 +/- 0.1 versus 1.39 +/- 0.07 mumol/g, p less than 0.01). Concurrently, hindquarter GLN fractional release increased nearly threefold (p less than 0.05) in the TPN+GLN group. Glutamine-enriched total parenteral nutrition did not affect carcass weight, tumor weight, tumor DNA content, or tumor glutaminase activity. Furthermore, DNA flow cytometric analysis did not demonstrate any difference in percentage of aneuploid tumor cells within the G1, S, or G2M cell cycles. However, the ratio of aneuploid to diploid cells within the tumor mass increased by 20% in animals receiving glutamine. Glutamine-enriched total parenteral nutrition had no effect on tumor glutathione (GSH) levels. No increase in hepatic GSH levels was observed, but gut mucosal GSH levels were 20% greater in the TPN+GLN group (p less than 0.05). The provision of glutamine-enriched TPN may be beneficial to the host by maintaining skeletal muscle glutamine stores and by supporting gut GSH biosynthesis. In this tumor model, TPN+GLN does not appear to increase tumor size, tumor DNA content, or tumor glutamine metabolism, but the ratio of tumor cells to host infiltrating cells within the tumor mass appears to be increased.
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PMID:The effects of glutamine-enriched total parenteral nutrition on tumor growth and host tissues. 154 96


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