Histochemical studies on enzyme activities of gastric carcinoma. II. Dehydrogenases

With gastric carcinomas the activities of eight dehydrogenases; succmlC, lactic, malic, α glycerophosphate, glutamic, β-hydroxybutyric, glucose-6-phosphate and isocitric dehydrogenase were statistically estimated. Principal findings may be briefly summarized as follows. These enzymatic activities differed considerably even in the same classification of carcinomas and generally ranged from strong to weak in the following order: lactic, malic, glucose-6-phosphate, isocitric, succinic, α-glycerophosphate, glutamic and β-hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase. The activities of adenocarcinomas were stronger than those in simple ones, and these were not related appreciably to cell differentiation in adenocarcinomas except succinic, glutamic, glucose-6-phosphate and isocitric dehydrogenase. As for succinic dehydrogenase and NAD-linked dehydrogenases except for lactic dehydrogenase, the activities were strongest in intestinal metaplasia and early mucosal carcinomas, the next being in benign adenomatous polyps and weakest in the other carcinomas. As for NADP-linked dehydrogenases and lactic dehydronase, the activities were also strongest in intestinal metaplasia and early carcinomas, the second in the other carcinomas and the third in the benign polyps. Generally, these dehydrogenase activities were strongest in free carcinoma cells in blood and lymph vessels and in actively growing part of several carcinomas and weakest in the central area of tumors, especially almost negative in the central necrotic area.