Levels and Intracellular Distribution of Coenzyme A and Pantothenic Acid in Rat Liver and Tumors.

Abstract

The intracellular distrs. of pantothenic acid and of coenzyme A were detd. in normal rat liver and in azo dye-induced rat liver tumors. These substances were also detd. in 3 kinds of transplantable rat tumors. All of the tumors were much lower in these components than normal liver. The majority of each factor in the liver was contained in the mitochondria; however, in the liver tumor the supernatant fraction contained the largest amts. The remaining amts. were distr. between the nuclear and supernatant fractions of the liver and the mitochondrial and nuclear fractions of the liver tumor. The microsomes from each tissue contained only small amts. of the vitamin and coenzyme. The finding that these tumors contain low levels of coenzyme A is in harmony with the observation of Potter and his associates that homogenates of such tumors contain low amts. of the enzymes that oxidize oxalacetic acid.