An in vivo study on one carbon metabolism during tumor progression

• Main Authors: Shang-Chih Hsieh, 謝上智
• Other Authors: 蔣恩沛
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/31805040426354914070

碩士 === 國立中興大學 === 食品暨應用生物科技學系所 === 97 === Folate plays a crucial role in the one-carbon metabolism that maintains cellular DNA synthesis and methylation reactions. Previous clinical studies indicated that some cancer patients had low plasma folate concentration. In the present study, we investigated folate metabolism in tumor bearing mice. In separate experiments the nude mice were inoculated subcutaneously with different type of tumor cells and plasma folate concentrations were monitored periodically. The impacts of different tumor xenografts on folate status and the one-carbon metabolic fluxes in different tissues were investigated using stable isotopic tracers and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. There was a trend of reduction in folate concentration in tissues of tumor bearing mice. Folate dependent homocysteine remethylation reactions were down-regulated in multiple tissues in the tumor group in comparison with the non-tumor group. Further studies on the mechanism by which tumor xenograft alters folate and one carbon metabolism are warranted.