Glutathione peroxidase isoenzymes in human tumor cell lines.

A set of human tumor cell lines was characterized in terms of the GPx isoenzymes GPx1, -2, -3 and -4. Semiquantitative PCR was used to investigate the GPx mRNA transcripts and the GPx activity was determined photometrically. As a result of culturing under standard conditions, diverse distribution of GPx mRNA and basic GPx activity was found in the investigated cell lines. PCR results showed nearly ubiquitous existence of the isoenzymes GPx1 and GPx4. GPx2 mRNA transcript was only detected in the colonic cell line CaCo-2. After detection of the GPx3 mRNA transcripts in most of the tested cell lines, an ELISA was performed to investigate if the GPx3 protein is present as well. However, the GPx3 protein could not be detected. Glutathione peroxidases contain the amino acid selenocysteine in their active centre. Selenocysteine contains selenium instead of sulfur in cysteine. Therefore, the influence of selenium on GPx activity and GPx isoenzyme distribution was investigated. Cell culturing with additional selenium showed a clear elevation of GPx activity in Mono Mac 6 cells but no gain of mRNA transcripts or any change in the isoenzyme's distribution.

Functional and morphologic characterization of human insulinomas.

Circulating levels of insulin, proinsulin-like component, glucagon, growth hormone, and pancreatic polypeptide were measured in 12 patients with functioning insulinomas, and the suppressibility of serum insulin by somatostatin and diazoxide was assessed before surgical removal of the tumors. The hormone content of the tumors was evaluated by radioimmunoassay and by immunofluorescence and the structure of the tumor cells by electron microscopy. Based on these findings, we propose a new classification of insulinomas in two groups: group A is characterized morphologically by abundant well-granulated typical B-cells, trabecular arrangement of tumor cells, and uniform insulin immunofluorescence; functionally, these tumors are associated with a moderate elevation of proinsulin-like component and with an almost complete suppressibility of serum insulin by somatostatin and diazoxide. In contrast, tumors of group B are characterized by scarce well-granulated typical B-cells, a medullary-type histologic structure, and irregular insulin immunofluorescence; functionally these tumors show elevated circulating levels of proinsulin-like component and a marked resistance of insulin secretion to somatostatin and diazoxide inhibition. This way of separating human insulinomas in groups A and B represents a simplification of existing classifications and emphasizes the quantitative ultrastructure in relationship to suppressibility of insulin secretion. The proposed classification of human insulinomas in groups A and B, however, does not allow the assessment of the clinical or histopathologic malignancy of the tumors.