[Correlation between protein thiols and the doubling time of various rat hepatomas]

The SH content of the soluble proteins (nanomol./mg protein) from five transplantable rat hepatomas and from the DENA-hepatoma were determined with dithionitrobenzoate (Ellman reagent). Both the total number of thiols as well as the number of SH groups that can be blocked by hydroxypentenal (HPE) increase with increasing growth rate of the tumors. In comparison with the protein thiol content of the slowest growing DENA-hepatoma (doubling time 100 days), the total protein thiols of the fastest growing Yoshida hepatoma (doubling time 2,5 days) increase by 100% and the HPE-sensitive protein thiols by 350%. The total protein thiols are significantly correlated with the growth rate (probability of error 5%), the HPE-sensitive thiols are correlated with high significance (probability of error less than 1%). These results are in accordance with the "Molecular Correlation Concept" of G. Weber and might possibly be understood as a consequence of reprogramming of gene expressions.