Glutathione S-transferase isoenzymes and glutathione in renal cell carcinoma and kidney tissue.

Many studies have established the role of the glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and glutathione (GSH) in the neoplastic process and the drug resistance of tumor. Using isoelectric focusing we separated different forms of GSTs in 28 renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) and in morphologically unchanged adjacent kidney. In addition we determined in RCCs and adjacent kidney the level of GSH and the activities of enzymes participating in synthesis and uptake of this thiol compound. We found higher activity of acidic GSTs and higher level of GSH in RCCs versus kidney. Therefore we suggest that both parameters may play the significant role in the well known phenomenon of intrinsic cytostatic drug resistance of RCC. We also observed the elevation of GSH synthetase activity in tumor tissues in comparison to the kidneys. It may indicate that GSH synthetase, catalysing the final step in GSH synthesis, may participate in the elevation of GSH concentration in RCCs. In this work we also compared the tested parameters in RCCs in relation to the size and local extent of primary tumor (T). We found significantly lower activity of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) as well as GSH synthetase in the group of T3 and T4 tumors than in T2 tumors. However, no substantial differences in GSH concentrations were observed between these distinguished groups.