Glycosaminoglycan content and synthesis in gastric carcinoma

The glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content of stomach carcinoma tissue was compared with that of non-neoplastic mucosa. GAG synthesis was also studied, by an analysis of 35S-labelled material after incubation of tissue segments in medium containing 35SO4. No significant difference was found between the amount of GAG and its components in the medullary carcinoma tissue and in non-neoplastic mucosa, but GAG synthesis of the carcinoma tissue was at a much higher rate than that of the non-neoplastic mucosa. In the autoradiograph, high 35S uptake in the carcinoma cells was observed. The GAG content of the scirrhous-carcinoma tissue was about twice that of medullary carcinoma.