Phosphatide composition of normal, hyperplastic and malignant squamous epithelium

Our plain-English summary of Phosphatide composition of normal, hyperplastic and malignant squamous epithelium, by C. Carruthers (Oncology, 1966).

The study

• Author: C. Carruthers
• Journal: Oncology
• Published: 1966;20(3):167-77
• Cited by: 5 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

(1) Employing DEAE-cellulose, silicic acid, silicic acid-silicate-water and thin layer chromatography the phosphatide and neutral lipid composition was determined in mouse epidermis undergoing malignant transformation and in two lines of cancer cells (Krystofiak-lung and Blumreich-mesothelium) grown in tissue culture. In mouse epidermis undergoing malignant transformation the content of phosphatidyl ethanolamine was higher and that of ceramides was lower in squamous-cell carcinomas than in normal and hyperplastic epidermis. Papillomas had relatively high levels of both phosphatides. The content of other phosphatides such as phosphatidyl serine, sphingomyelins and lecithins did not vary appreciably. Also in epidermal carcinogenesis the sum of the fraction containing phosphatidyl inositol, sulfatide and an uncharacterized phosphatide remained about the same and needs further fractionation to determine their variation in carcinogenesis. (2) Three lines of cancer cells grown in tissue culture (Krystofiak, Blumreich and mouse leukemia L 1210) had high levels of total phosphatides and two of these cell lines (Krystofiak and leukemia L 1210) had high values of lecithins. The three types of cancer cells grown in tissue culture and the methylcholanthrene-induced squamous-cell carcinomas differed appreciably in the composition of all their neutral lipid classes (sterol esters, triglycerides-free fatty acids, cholesterol and mono- and diglycerides) but they all contained relatively high levels of cholesterol.

PubMed has no abstract for this study. This is the authors' abstract, copied from the article.

In plain English

This was a laboratory chemistry study. It did not study or mention asbestos. Its only link is one cultured human cell line, described as mesothelioma carcinoma cells (Blumreich). The author painted 3-methylcholanthrene on the skin of Swiss mice to produce hyperplastic (thickened) skin, papillomas and squamous-cell carcinomas. The author measured fats called phosphatides, and other lipids, in these tissues and in cultured cancer cells. In the mouse carcinomas, phosphatidyl ethanolamine made up 21.5% of total phosphatides (4 analyses), compared with 11.8% in control epidermis (9 analyses), taken four days after hair plucking, just after rapid cell division. Ceramides were 4.2% of total phosphatides in the carcinomas (6 analyses) and 8.5% in control epidermis (9 analyses). Phosphatidyl serine, sphingomyelins and lecithins did not vary appreciably. Phosphatides were 44 to 80% of total lipid in the cancer cells, including 74.5% in the mesothelioma cells (one analysis). The cultured cells and mouse carcinomas differed in other lipids, but all had relatively high cholesterol. The author concluded that phosphatidyl ethanolamine was higher and ceramides lower in the carcinomas than in normal and hyperplastic epidermis.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Laboratory study (animal experiment plus analysis of cultured cancer cells) measuring lipid composition by chromatography
• Who was studied: The studied material was:
• skin (epidermis) of Swiss mice at stages from control to hyperplastic, papilloma and squamous-cell carcinoma;
• human epidermis from the extremities;
• three cultured cell lines: Krystofiak (human bronchiogenic squamous carcinoma), Blumreich (human mesothelioma carcinoma cells) and L1210 (mouse leukemia).
  Each tissue had between 1 and 9 analyses. The work was done at Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, New York; dates are not given.
• Exposure: Topical 3-methylcholanthrene (0.3% solution in benzene) was applied to the shaved backs of mice. No asbestos or fiber exposure was studied.
• Main results:
  • The control tissue was mouse epidermis taken four days after hair plucking. The author described it as having just undergone rapid cell division.
  • Phosphatidyl ethanolamine, as percent of total phosphatides, was:
• 21.5 ±4.4 in mouse squamous-cell carcinomas (4 analyses);
• 11.8 ± 1.3 in four-day post-plucking control mouse epidermis (9);
• 9.5 ±1.4 in MC-treated epidermis (4);
• 17.1 in papillomas (2).
  The author called this the most significant change in epidermal carcinogenesis; no statistical test is reported.
  • Ceramides, as percent of total phosphatides, were:
• 4.2 ±1.2 in mouse squamous-cell carcinomas (6 analyses);
• 2.9±1.0 in Krystofiak carcinoma cells (3);
• 8.5 ±1.5 in control mouse epidermis (9);
• 9.8±1.0 in MC-treated epidermis (6);
• 16.0 in papillomas (2).
  • Phosphatidyl serine, sphingomyelins and lecithins did not vary appreciably in mouse epidermis undergoing carcinogenesis.
  • Phosphatides made up 44 to 80% of total lipid in the cancer cells. The content was higher in the cultured cancer cells than in the MC-induced mouse carcinomas. The Blumreich mesothelioma cells had 74.5% (one analysis).
  • The cultured cancer cells and the MC-induced mouse carcinomas differed in their neutral lipid composition. All the cancer cells examined had relatively high cholesterol (Blumreich: 30.4% of neutral lipid, one analysis).
• The authors' conclusion: The author concluded that, in mouse epidermis undergoing malignant transformation, phosphatidyl ethanolamine was higher and ceramides were lower in squamous-cell carcinomas than in normal and hyperplastic epidermis.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The author stated that some fractions, such as fraction 8 (sulfatides, phosphatidyl inositol and another phosphatide), need further separation to assess their variation in cancer formation.
  • The author did not identify the lipids seen as two spots in fraction 4.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Epithelium, Silicate, Malignant Transformation, Mesothelium, Carcinoma, Carcinogenesis.

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