[Impaired superoxide dismutase activity and decreased content of lipid peroxides in hepatocellular carcinoma tissue].

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and content of lipid peroxides (LPO) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue were studied. It was observed that SOD activity and LPO content in HCC tissue were lower than those in normal liver tissue (P less than 0.001 respectively). The contents of copper, zinc and manganese in HCC tissue were also lower than those in normal liver tissue (P less than 0.001, P less than 0.05). Furthermore, LPO content in necrotic HCC tissue was higher than that in non-necrotic HCC tissue (P less than 0.05). The results suggest that deficiency of copper, zinc and manganese in HCC tissue may be a contributing factor that leads to impairment of SOD activity. Decreased SOD activity in liver cancer cells was a negative feedback of the multiplication of cancer cells loss of lipid peroxidation explains the malignancy of HCC, and enhanced lipid peroxidation in liver cancer cells may cause the necrosis of cancer cells.