IN VITRO AND IN VIVO EFFECTS OF STEROIDS ON GLUCOSE OXIDATION AND RESPIRATION BY NORMAL AND MALIGNANT LYMPHOID TISSUE1

Abstract

A study has been made of the effects of various steroids, added in vitro, on the endogenous respiration, oxygen consumption in the presence of added glucose, and oxidation of this glucose to carbon dioxide by whole lymph nodes and by lymphocyte cell suspensions. Rat mesenteric lymph nodes, thymus, and a transplantable lymphosarcoma were used as sources of lymphoid cells. A variety of steroids studied caused inhibition of the metabolism of lymphoid cells, under the experimental conditions used. Correlations are indicated between aspects of steroid structure and inhibitory effects observed. Certain steroids which caused inhibition of metabolism of lymphoid cells when added in vitro, were injected into rats 4 hrs. prior to sacrifice of the animals. Lymphoid cells from such steroid-injected rats showed metabolic alterations, when studied in vitro, similar to those seen when the steroid was added directly to the cells in vitro.