The effect of pyocyanine on the respiration of some normal tissues and tumours

Abstract

Pyocyanine increased the respiration of tissues with aerobic glycolysis such as testicular tissue and a series of animal and human tumors. The increase in respiration depended on the presence of glucose. One must differentiate between an apparent increase in respiration, brought about in thick tissue sections through an increase in the depth of the respiring layer, and a true catalysis. While in carbonate-Ringer the respiration of normal rat kidney was not increased by pyocyanine, a considerable increase was brought about in phosphate-Ringer. In the presence of phosphate the oxidation mechanism of the cell seems to be fundamentally altered. The toxicity of pyocyanine is compared with that of methylene blue. Pyocyanine shows min. toxicity and enormous action in increasing respiration.