Relationship between ATP synthesis and 201Tl uptake in transformed and non-transformed cell lines

201Tl tumour imaging is an established procedure, but little is known about its biological significance in transformed and non-transformed cells. In investigating the relationship between 201Tl uptake and intracellular ATP, we wished to determine whether the observed difference in delayed uptake is attributable to re-uptake via Na-K ATPase by using transformed (HeLa) and non-transformed (human fibroblast: hFB) cell lines. In each cell line, ATP was measured using the Luciferin-Luciferase method (LLM). The change in 201Tl uptake was assessed under conditions of mitochondrial suppression. Additionally, we assessed whether glycolysis is involved in 201Tl uptake under conditions of mitochondrial suppression and anaerobic incubation. Re-uptake via Na-K ATPase (HeLa vs hFB: 37.3 vs 24.2%) showed a clear difference in delayed uptake between HeLa and hFB. With HeLa, 201Tl uptake decreased biphasically with a reduction in ATP levels, whereas with hFB a linear correlation was evident. Despite the suppression of mitochondrial potential, a 5% glucose loading accelerated glycolysis with HeLa, and increased ATP (10.0 +/- 4.0%) and 201Tl uptake (16.2 +/- 3.0%). Conversely, neither ATP nor 201Tl uptake increased with hFB. Our results provide evidence that 201Tl uptake in transformed cells is related to enhanced glycolysis as well as mitochondrial ATP synthesis.