Abstract
WITH reference to Dr. L. J. Harris's comments in NATURE of July 1 (p. 27) on the presence of reducing bodies in tumours, perhaps the following observations may be of some interest. In making a systematic investigation of the distribution of fumarase in animal and plant tissues, I have studied the activity of several human tumours. They have all shown very powerful fumarase activity and usually more so than the surrounding host tissue. In performing the test for fumarase activity, I have estimated the l-malic acid formed by adding acetic acid and concentrated ammonium molybdate solution, filtering off the proteins, etc., and examining the resulting clear solution by means of the polarimeter. With all tumours so far examined, the solution after adding acetic acid and molybdate became deeply coloured, probably due to the formation of the lower oxides of molybdenum and indicating the presence of reducing bodies in the tumours. The host tissues failed to give such extensive reduction of the molybdic acid reagent.
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QUASTEL, J. Reducing Bodies, and Fumarase, in Tumours. Nature 132, 101 (1933). https://doi.org/10.1038/132101c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/132101c0
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