Regulation of the cyclic guanosine 3'-5' monophosphate system in human brain tumors.

Several reports have suggested that cylcic guanosine 3'-5' monophosphate (cGMP) and cyclic 3'-5' adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) are involved in the regulation of cellular proliferation. Following our previous reports on the cAMP system in human brain tumors, we decided to investigate the cGMP system in the same pathological tissues by studying the activity of guanylate cyclase and cGMP-phosphodiesterase (cGMP-PDE). We found that the activity of both enzymes is lower in neurinomas and glioblastomas than in meningiomas or in normal cerebral cortex. Furthermore, the subcellular distribution of guanylate cyclase in human cerebral cortex differs from that of neurinomas and glioblastomas. On the basis of such observations we have discussed the possibility that the regulatory mechanism of the enzymes related to the cyclic nucleotide metabolism is altered in brain tumors.