Putrescine accumulation in human pulmonary tumours

Type II pneumocytes and Clara cells, both epithelial cells that possess an active uptake system for polyamines, have been identified as possible precursor cells of at least some types of lung tumours. In this study we have investigated whether human pulmonary tumours exhibit putrescine uptake. Lung...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of cancer 1996, Vol.73 (1), p.96-100
Main Authors: HOET, P. H. M, DINSDALE, D, VERBEKEN, E. K, DEMEDTS, M, NEMERY, B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adenocarcinoma - metabolism
Aged
Autoradiography
Biological and medical sciences
Carbon Radioisotopes
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - metabolism
Female
Humans
Lung - metabolism
Lung Neoplasms - metabolism
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Pneumology
Putrescine - pharmacokinetics
Reference Values
Tritium
Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum
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Summary:Type II pneumocytes and Clara cells, both epithelial cells that possess an active uptake system for polyamines, have been identified as possible precursor cells of at least some types of lung tumours. In this study we have investigated whether human pulmonary tumours exhibit putrescine uptake. Lung slices from both tumoral tissue and non-tumoral tissue, obtained from patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer, were incubated with radiolabelled putrescine at both 37 degrees C and 4 degrees C. The accumulation of putrescine was evaluated by its apparent kinetic parameters, in the presence or absence of cystamine, and by autoradiography. The investigated tumoral tissue (six squamous carcinomas and five adenocarcinomas) did not show accumulation of putrescine above that attributable to simple diffusion, except for one adenocarcinoma. In this specimen autoradiography showed that the accumulation was not specifically associated with any particular cell type, but that practically every cell accumulated putrescine. We conclude that human pulmonary tumours do not accumulate polyamines in a manner similar to normal pulmonary epithelial cells.
ISSN:0007-0920
1532-1827
DOI:10.1038/bjc.1996.17