Apparent heterogeneity between leukemic lymphocyte cell lines.

31P-NMR and polarographic techniques were used to investigate glycolytic versus aerobic oxidative activity in normal and leukemic lymphocytes, and to investigate possible heterogeneity in these parameters between two leukemic cell lines. Molt 3 cells showed a 10-fold higher rate of glutamine-dependent respiration than Molt 4 cells, and an increased level of glutamine-uptake. Molt 3 demonstrated a high intracellular buffering capacity, manifested by constant pHi after addition of glucose, while the same treatment applied to Molt 4 cells induced a change in internal pH of up to 1.23 pH units. This data raises the possibility of heterogeneity of leukemic lymphocytes within the patient from whom the isolation was conducted, or of gross metabolic adaptation by the cell lines in culture.