The metabolism of normal and tumour tissue

Abstract

Phenylhydrazine, in low concn. (ca. 2.10-3 M), is without action on the anaerobic glycolysis of animal tissues or on the anaerobic fermentation of yeast, but in the presence of O2 it increases lactic acid formation in a wide range of animal tissues, and aerobic fermentation of baker''s yeast, irreversibly, to a value near or equalto that of the same cells anaerobically. Tissues which are dependent on the oxidation of glucose (or lactic acid) for their continued respiration undergo a progressive fall of respiration after phenylhydrazine treatment. Baker''s yeast belongs to this class of cell, but most animal tissues do not, nor do tumor cells (Jensen sarcoma), whose already high aerobic glycolysis rises to the anaerobic level. The bearing of these observations on the nature of the Pasteur reaction is discussed.