Variations in energy and phospholipid metabolism in normal and cancer human mammary epithelial cells

By comparing the metabolism of human mammary epithelial cells and human breast cancer cells (MCF7 and T47D), proliferating at approximately the same rate, it was possible to isolate the effect of malignancy alone on the energetics and phospholipid metabolism of cancer cells. 31p NMR of perfused mammary cells and of water soluble extracts of these cells showed that the levels of phosphocholine, phosphoethanolamine, and glycerol derivatives of these metabolites were very low and significantly less than that in the cancer cells, suggesting an association of malignancy with induction of phospholipid biosynthesis and breakdown. The level of the high energy phosphates and the rates of glucose consumption and aerobic glycolysis did not reveal distinct differences between normal and cancer cells. The comparable energetic appear to be related to the similarity of proliferating capacity in culture of the normal and cancer cells.