Studies on the biosynthesis of polyisoprenols, cholesterol and ubiquinone in highly differentiated human hepatomas.

Surgical samples of human hepatic tissue were analysed morphologically and biochemically and highly differentiated hepatomas were compared with two control groups: morphologically normal liver tissue surrounding the tumour, and tissue from normal livers. In tumour homogenates cholesterol levels were more than twice, ubiquinone levels about half and the concentration of free dolichol about 10% of the control value. The levels of dolichyl phosphate were basically similar, whereas the phospholipid level was slightly lower in the tumours. In microsomes isolated from hepatomas, the level of cholesterol was about 30% higher than the control value. HMG-CoA reductase activity in microsomes isolated from hepatomas was elevated almost 100% in comparison to control. In hepatomas, no major alterations in the compositions of dolichol or dolichyl phosphate could be observed. The relative amounts of alpha-saturated and alpha-unsaturated polyprenols were also basically unaltered in hepatomas. Liver samples were incubated with 3H-mevalonic acid and radioactivity was monitored in polyprenols. With control tissue, incorporation was considerably higher in alpha-unsaturated polyprenols than in their alpha-saturated counterparts. In the tumours the rates of incorporation into both polyprenol fractions were much lower, although still higher in the alpha-unsaturated fraction. Labelling of polyisoprenols containing 19 isoprene residues was higher than that of 20 residues. The pattern of labelling in the polyisoprenyl-P fraction was similar. In hepatomas the incorporation into cholesterol and ubiquinone-10 was about 100% higher and 50% lower respectively compared with control tissue. The results in this study of hepatomas indicate that the levels of various lipids may be influenced not only by the regulatory enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, but also by other enzymes catalysing reactions subsequent to this regulatory point. It is also suggested that levels of cholesterol, ubiquinone and dolichol may be regulated independently subsequent to the branch point at farnesylpyrophosphate.