Effects on intermediary metabolism in mouse tissues by Ro-03-8799

Glucose and lipid metabolism in the brain, liver and in a transplanted tumour were found to be variously altered within 2 to 3 h of administering single doses of the radiosensitizer Ro-03-8799 to normal and tumour-bearing mice. Hepatic lactate and glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) levels were decreased but those of the ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate (beta-HOBu) were raised. However, in the tumour, these levels were all enhanced. The lactate levels in brain remained relatively constant but both beta-HOBu and G3P levels were altered in a manner similar to that in the liver. The levels of glucose were approximately doubled in blood, brain and tumour, but whereas tumour G6P levels increased, those in the brain were lowered to below the limits of detection. Hepatic glucose levels were significantly decreased after 1 h but G6P levels were not affected. These changes could neither be related to inhibitory effects on hepatic glucokinase or brain hexokinase activity nor to limiting amounts of ATP in both tissues. However, the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6P'ase) was distinctly raised in the liver and the hepatic glycogen stores were also rapidly lowered. Overall, the results suggest that Ro-03-8799 exerts a stimulatory effect on glucose production in the liver. In both liver and brain the levels of free fatty acids and phospholipids were increased whereas those of esterified fatty acids were lowered. Most importantly, the changes in metabolite levels affect the cellular redox couples; those of the cytosol (lactate/pyruvate; G3P/dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DAP] are directed towards the oxidised state in the liver but to a more reduced state in the tumour. The mitochondrial couple (beta-HOBu/acetoacetate (AcAc)) in both tissues is shifted towards the reduced state. These metabolic changes may result in an increase in the degree of hypoxia in the tumour and may well play an important role in the development of neuropathies.