Oxygen Uptake and Lactate Formation of HeLa Cells.

Abstract

Gey''s strain HeLa cells were cultured in Earle T-60 flasks for almost a year in media composed of 0.25 g yeast and 0.25 g lactalbumin hydro-lysate/1 Earle solution with 10% human or horse serum. Respiration was determined manometrically and lactate formation chemically. In preliminary experiments, 0.25% Difco trypsin (1:250) when used to separate cells, depressed respiration in some instances. Respiration of suspensions of HeLa was constant for an hour but decreased slightly after first hour. Metabolism of two lines of HeLa cells was compared. Respiration and glycolysis of cells grown in media containing homol ogous human serum was higher than that of cells grown in media con taining horse serum. Human HeLa cells had a metabolism like that re ported for tumor tissue in that respiration was low (QO2 = 6.0) and aerobic glycolysis moderate (QO2LA = 12.0). They differed from tumor tissue in that anerobic glycolysis was low (QN2LA = 5.5) and p-phenyl-enediamine stimulated respiration 338% (Q02 = 26.3). There was no Pasteur Effect and Fermentation Excess was negative.