Effect of tumors with different growth rates on enzymes in host liver

In response to extrahepatic neoplasms, ornithine aminotransferase, malic enzyme, alanine aminotransferase and glucokinase activity of the 'uninvolved' liver is diminished and that of hexokinase is increased. Comparison of rats at various times after the implantation of ascites tumor, mammary carcinoma, fibrosarcoma and Morris hepatomas indicate that the faster the growth rate of tumors, the earlier the onset of these hepatic changes. The results also show that, when the different tumors are the same size, the magnitude of the enzymic deviations in the liver is directly related to characteristic growth rate of the tumor lines. These and previous observations on other host tissues suggest that tumor-doubling time, which is a known factor in metastatic spread and survival, may also be a variable in the production of systemic agents through which neoplasms affect the metabolic state of the cancer host.