Comparative Biochemistry of Hepatomas. v. Studies on Amino Acid Incorporation in Liver Tumors of Different Growth Rates.

The incorporation and oxidation of alanine, aspartate, glycine, serine, isoleucine, and valine were compared in normal and regenerating liver and in hepatomas of dif ferent growth rates. For the incorporation of amino acid into protein a rough correla tion with the growth rates of liver tumors was observed. For all amino acids tested regenerating liver showed an increased incorporation (125-168 per cent) as compared with the values found in the liver of sham-operated rats. The incorporation into the slowly growing H-35 was in normal range; in the more rapidly growing 7288-C there was an increased incorporation (127-155 per cent) ; in the two most rapidly growing tumors, 3924-A and 3683, there was a very marked increase (174-Ì94 per cent). The oxidation of amino acids was essentially unaltered in the regenerating liver and in hepatomas H-35 and 7288-C. In the rapidly growing tumors the oxidation of isoleu cine and valine was increased (145-197 per cent).