Polyamine oxidase activity and concentration of polyamines in tissues and serum of hamsters with transplantational pigmented melanoma IC-Sofia.

The activity of polyamine oxidase (PAO) participating in the intracellular catabolitic interconversion of the polyamines and the total concentration of polyamines in some tissues of hamsters with transplantational pigmented melamoma IC-Sofia were studied. The experiments were carried out on day 0, as well as on the 11th, 15th, 21st and 27th day after the tumor transplantation. The PAO activity and the polyamine concentration were determined in tumor tissue (with the exception of day 0), in the liver, kidneys, lung and serum (without PAO). A gradual decrease of the PAO activity and a marked rise in the total concentration of polyamines were observed in the growing tumor. In the remaining tissues the PAO activity initially rose slightly until the 15th day, then dropped, whereas the polyamine concentration increased all the time. The dynamics of the enzyme activity and the polyamine concentration were most pronounced in the lung. Tumor growth was not accompanied by changes in the polyamine concentration in the serum.