Beta-glucuronidase activity in human female genital cancer.

In 1937 Marrian (1) described a reaction where by estriol glucuronide was hydrolyzed during its passage through mouse intestine. This action was ascribed to a $-glucuronidase.' In a series of ex periments, Fishman (2) and others (3) associated the activity of this enzyme more closely with the metabolism of glucuronic acid. The glucuronidase activity of mouse liver was increased following the administration of borneal and menthol, which are conjugated in animals as glucuronides, while injec tions of estrogen increased the glucuronidase ac tivity of mouse uteri. The concept of “metabolic conjugation― rather than detoxification was ap plied to $-glucuronidase activity in mouse uteri where it was suggested the conjugated estriol glu curonide was possibly used by the cells (4). Re cently, Odell and Fishman (5) described cyclic changes of glucuronidase activity in normal human endometrium. These changes closely parallel the reported titres of blood and urinary estrogens dur ing the menstrual cycle. In addition blood and urine glucuronidase activity were found increased during pregnancy (6, 7). Moreover, the fall in serum glucuronidase activity postpartum was de layed by the administration of estrogens, notably stilbestrol (8). A close association with cellular activity led to the study of this enzyme in cancer tissue. Fishman (9, 10) noted greater activity of glucuronidase in breast carcinomas and involved lymph nodes, and in gastric, bowel, and metastatic carcinomas, than in normal uninvolved tissues. Moreover, an in hibitor substance (11) low in cancer tissue was detected. Preliminary studies on female genital cancer have been reported by Ode!! and Burt (12).