Blood leucocyte enzymes. III. Diurnal rhythm of activity in isolated lymphocytes of normal subjects and chronic lymphatic leukaemia patients.

The activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (D-glucose-6-phosphate: NADP oxidoreductase, G6PD), 6 phosphate glucono dehydrogenase (6 phospho-D-gluconate: NADP oxidoreductase, 6PGD) lactate dehydrogenase (D-lactate: NAD oxidoreductase, LDH), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (L-aspartate: 2-oxo-glutarate aminotransferase, GOT) and hexokinase (ATP: D-hexo-6-phosphotrans-ferase, Hx) were measured over 24 h in isolated lymphocytes of normal subjects and in white cells of patients with chronic lymphatic leukaemia (CLL). The activitty patterns of all enzymes in the normal lymphocytes were similar. A computed pattern of all the results exhibited a circadian rhythm of activity with the highest level at 16.00 hours. The oscillations in the activities of the same enzymes in the CLL cells differed among the patients, although all the enzymes of the same individual showed a similar diurnal rhythmic pattern. All peaks in this group appeared between 20.00 and 08.00 hours. The possible importance of these observations in setting up therapeutic schedules was raised.