[Putrescine and polyamines in human and rat cerebral gliomas]

Content of putrescine was increased and that of spermine unaltered in glioblastomas and dedifferentiated astrocytomas of human brain tissue as well as in the tissue, surrounding the tumors, as compared with the brain tissue. In malignant human glial tumors and in the peritumoral tissue content of spermidine was twice as high as content of the polyamine in grey brain tissue; at the same time, it was decreased 2-fold in the tumors as compared with the white brain tissue. The levels of putrescine, spermidine and spermine were distinctly increased in transplanted glioblastomas of rat brain as well as in the peritumoral tissues.