Glutathione content and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase activity in squamous cell head and neck cancer xenografts.

Drug resistance is a major problem in chemotherapy of squamous cell head and neck cancers (SCHNC). Since glutathione (GSH) plays a crucial role in mediating tumor cell resistance against various toxic insults, GSH metabolism in SCHNC xenografts was investigated. Xenografts from lymph node metastases contained markedly higher GSH concentrations compared with those derived from the corresponding primary lesions. After subcurative chemotherapy with cisplatin (DDP), a significant increase of both GSH levels and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase activity (gamma-GT) was gained in tumor HT1M. Tumor HT3M showed high concentrations of GSH and gamma-GT, although these latter concentrations did not increase following chemotherapy with DDP. These findings suggest a possible impact of GSH metabolism on both the formation of metastases and the phenomenon of drug resistance in SCHNC.