[The study of the antioxidant enzymes in erythrocytes in lung diseases].

The activity of antioxidative enzymes Cu, Zn-superoxidedismutase (SOD) and catalase as well as content of glutathione and activity of its metabolism enzymes--glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GP) were studied in red blood cells of 82 patients: with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD, n = 26), chest osteomyelitis (n = 12), malignant (n = 21) and benign (n = 23) pulmonary lesions. Red blood cells from 26 donors served as a control. Enzymes of glutathione and catalase metabolism in the red cells inhibited their activity in all the above pulmonary diseases vs those of the controls: GR activity in COPD and chest osteomyelitis decreased by 40% and more, lung tumors--by 32-36%.

Activity of glutathione-metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes in malignant and benign tumors of human lungs.

We measured the content of glutathione and activity of glutathione-metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase in samples obtained from 52 patients with malignant lung tumors and 20 patients with benign lung tumors. The content of glutathione and activity of glutathione-metabolizing enzymes underwent similar changes, but these changes were most pronounced in malignant tumors. Antioxidant enzyme activity changed insignificantly in benign tumors, but significantly decreased in malignant tumors (squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma).

[Effects of some growth factors and cytokines on ATP synthesis by plasma-membrane-enriched particles isolated from different human tumors].

Plasma-membrane-enriched particles isolated from the tissues of malignant tumors of different sites are shown to accumulate ATP under the influence of polypeptide growth factors and cytokines whose receptors have a tyrosine kinase activity. Polypeptide growth factors, such as EGF, FGF, NGF, TNF, insulin, and the cytokine IL-2, were studied on the accumulation of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) by the preparations of plasma-membrane-enriched particles isolated from the target tissues of human malignant tumors. The tumor (transformed) cell plasma membranes of the lung, bowel, stomach, pancreas, as well as the cells of neurinoma and a retroperitoneal extra-organ malignant tumor (leiomyosarcoma) are demonstrated to be able to synthesize ATP from inorganic phosphate and ADP under aerobic conditions human with the participation of the cyanide-insensitive proton phoric NADH-bound transversely oriented chain.