Energy metabolism and blood perfusion in a mouse mammary adenocarcinoma during growth and following X irradiation.

Biochemical and blood perfusion changes in a mouse tumor system (MDAH MCaIV) were studied relative to normal tissues under conditions of normal blood flow and clamped blood supply. Further studies were performed during tumor growth and after local X irradiation. The biochemical profiles of three untreated human soft tissue sarcomas were also investigated. Animal tumors were irradiated in situ with either a single or fractionated regime to total doses of 20 or 49 Gy. Assays of lactate, pyruvate, AMP, ADP, and ATP were made on freeze-clamped tissue following authentic or sham treatments. Blood perfusion to tumors treated in the same way was measured using iv injection of 201Tl. The human tumors were found to have a lower lactate to pyruvate ratio (L/P) than the MCaIV tumors; their ATP levels were also lower. L/P was much higher in the MCaIV tumors than in normal liver, kidney, and muscle in the mouse. Occlusion of the blood supplies of the normal kidney and the MCaIV tumor caused an increase in the lactate and L/P levels in both cases. However, whereas the ATP level in the kidney fell, the level in the tumor was maintained. There was some evidence that the adenine nucleotides were not in equilibrium via the adenyl kinase catalyzed reaction. In addition, tumors were found to contain the enzyme creatine kinase. These results suggest that energy charge calculations cannot be computed in a meaningful manner because the creatine kinase catalyzed phosphorylation of ADP would maintain a higher than normal ATP level. Lactate and L/P ratio was found to increase during tumor growth and decrease following X irradiation. The total adenine nucleotides (AMP + ADP + ATP) exhibited a trend toward lower values with increasing tumor size. There was no significant change in total adenine nucleotides after a single 20-Gy dose; however, fractionated radiation caused some fall in total nucleotides. It is concluded that, in this tumor system, lactate level is a sensitive index of radiation-induced biochemical changes which are likely to reflect changes in tumor oxygenation.