VITAMIN A AND TUMOR MITOCHONDRIA

Abstract

Recently one of the authors (1) showed the effect of a carcinogenic compound, 1, 2, 5, 6-dibenzanthracene, on the vitamin A and total lipid of hepatic mitochondria.The results demonstrated the vitamin A-depleting action of the hydrocarbon on these cytoplasmic structures.A natural inference would be that administration of the vitamin might help in combating this.The possibility proved unlikely, for parenteral injections of large amounts did not alter the results produced by dibenzanthracene.It was apparent that the mitochondria under the experimental conditions observed were not able to store vitamin A even though abundantly supplied.It was, therefore, determined to test the ability of malignant tumors to take up and utilize vitamin A in their mitochondria and compare this with the storage capacity of the hepatic structures in the tumor animal.Because of previous results (1) it was thought to be of interest to study the total lipid of hepatic and tumor mitochondria as contrasted with that of normal liver.EXPERIMENTAL