The oxidation of octanoate by liver homogenates from leucemic mice.

We have begun an investigation of the level of enzymatic activity in tissues which have been in filtrated by malignant cells. Two preliminary re ports of this work have appeared (1, @). We are presenting herewith results of studies of fatty acid oxidase activity which have been carried out on C58 mouse liver homogenates according to Lehn inger (3, 4). In addition, results of orienting ex periments with rat liver systems will be reported. Since one aspect of the cancer problem is the study of the chemical reactions which take place in living tissue, and since all major reactions in vivo involve enzymatic influence, it is important to determine the effect which invading malignant cells may have on the catalytic apparatus of nor mal tissue. The majority of the studies of enzymes in relation to cancer have been similar to those de scribed by Greenstein and co-workers (5) and have involved a comparision of the enzymatic levels of normal versus tumor tissue. It seems important to us to study organs which are more or less diffusely infiltrated by malignant cells The C58 strain of mice developed by MacDowell offers excellent ex