Tissue and urinary glycosaminoglycan patterns associated with a fast, an intermediate, and a slow-growing Morris hepatoma.

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the glycosaminoglycans (GAG's) in different behavioral-histological types of i.m.-transplanted hepatomas and in the liver and urine of animals bearing these tumors. Groups of 10 Buffalo rats carrying fast-growing (7777), intermediate (5123tc), and slow-growing (9618A) Morris hepatomas were studied as the tumors reached 3 cm. Urinary and tissue GAG's were isolated by proteolysis, separated as cetylpyridinium complexes, and measured as uronic acid. The GAG's were further purified using anion-exchange chromatography and characterized with mucopolysaccharidases. Tissue GAG,s were also evaluated histochemically using Alcian blue staining and mucopolysaccharidases. Tissue from fast-growing, intermediate, and slow-growing tumors exhibited greater GAG levels than did normal liver in the hyaluronic acid (0.4 M NaCl-soluble) fraction and in the chondroitin sulfate-heparan sulfate (1.2 M NaCl-soluble) fraction. The livers of tumor-bearing animals exhibited GAG levels similar to those of normal liver. Increased urinary GAG excretion was appreciated in animals bearing Tumors 5123tc and 9618A but not in those bearing Tumor 7777.