Searches for exploitable biochemical differences between normal and cancer cells. VII. Anabolism and catabolism of purines by minced tissues.

Summary Minced neoplasms and minced tissues of the host animals were incubated with xanthine-8-C 14 , hypoxanthine-8-C 14 , adenine-8-C 14 , or guanine-8-C 14 ; and aqueous alcoholic extracts of these mixtures were examined by means of the chromatographic-radioautographic technic. It was found that relatively less catabolism and more anabolism occurred in the neoplastic tissues than in most of the host tissues examined. The relevance of these findings to the possible roles of catabolism and anabolism in control of growth is discussed.