High rate of
glutamine use is a characteristic of
tumor cell both in vivo and in vitro and experimental
cancer therapies have developed by depriving
tumor cells of
glutamine. In several investigations, bacterial
glutaminase was found to be a potent therapeutic agent against varieties of
tumor, but it showed suppressive effects on haematopoietic systems and inhibitory effects on normal lymphocytic blastogenesis. No
antineoplastic study has nevertheless been undertaken with
glutaminase enzyme purified from mammalian source. In the present study we report the purification of
glutaminase enzyme from mitochondria of highly malignant S-180 cell using ion exchange chromatography and affinity column chromatography of
glutamine. Purified
enzyme is a kidney type
phosphate dependent
glutaminase with Mr 64 KD. Effect of
enzyme therapy has been investigated in transplantable as well as induced
tumor model in both
ascites and solid form. It has been observed that the
enzyme at the total dose of 10 unit/mouse successfully inhibited the
tumor burden both in ascitic and solid
tumor and subsequently increases the host's life span. There was no significant toxic effect on the peripheral blood cells.