Biochemical quantification of ATPase activities during liver carcinogenesis.

In the course of chemically induced liver carcinogenesis as one of the earliest changes, the histochemically demonstrable focal loss of nucleoside 5'-triphosphatase activities (ATPase) is detectable. The exact quantitation and differentiation of these alterations can be achieved by biochemical analysis in microdissected preneoplastic foci. The preparation of focal tissue was facilitated using a microscopic-microdissecting apparatus [1]. By microanalytic determination of hydrolytic cleavage of 32P from gamma 32P-ATP a decrease of total ATPase activity to about 70% was found. Furthermore, the alteration of ATPase activities in course of chemically induced liver carcinogenesis in rats will be described.