Cytoenzymology of benign and malignant tumours of the corpus uteri. I. Respiratory enzymes.

The activity of a group of respiratory enzymes was studied in normal menopausal as well as benign and malignant tumours. A decrease in the activity of succinic dehydrogenase, diphosphopyridine nucleotide diaphorase and cytochrome oxidase in malignant tumours especially in spindle cell sarcoma and undifferentiated adenocarcinoma was observed. Benign tumours manifested variable results, thus cellular fibromyoma showed no changes in the activity of succinic dehydrogenase, diphosphopyridine nucleotide diaphorase and cytochrome oxidase whereas fibromyomal cells exhibited less enzymatic activity. In addition, no marked difference was observed in the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the aforementioned tumours as compared with normal menopausal uterine tissues.