Lethal Action of Sugars on Ascites Tumour Cells in vitro

Abstract

FARE¹ described a protective activity against the induction of liver tumours in rats fed with 4-dimethylaminoazo-benzene by the addition to the diet of a fraction of ox liver prepared as described by Maisin and Lambert². The protective activity of this water-soluble preparation, which was obtained by acetone extraction of liver pulp de-fatted with ether, was closely associated with its content of glucose, the only sugar detected. The reports of Nakahara and Fukuoka³ concerning a bovine liver fraction lethal in vitro to Ehrlich carcinoma cells in ascites form, and of Tsuda et al.⁴ concerning the cytostatic properties of various sugars and related compounds, were therefore of interest. Experiments with ox liver fraction and with a number of sugars lead us to conclude that the lethal action is largely attributable to the production of an acid pH resulting from breakdown of those sugars which are metabolized by the cells.