In order to investigate changes in nuclease activities in ovarian tumor tissues, ac-
tivities of acid deoxyribonuclease (DNase) and neutral ribonuclease (RNase) were
determined in ovarian tissues with serous cystadenocarcinoma, mutinous
cystadenocarcinoma, endodermal sinus tumor, Krukenberg tumor, serous
cystadenoma and mucinous cystadenoma. RNase and proteins in ovarian cancer
tissues were isolated and fractionated by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography
to find out the appearance of RNase and proteins unique to ovarian cancer.
1. Activities of acid DNase known to be involved in integration of DNA were unchanged in tissues with serous and mucinous cystadenoma, but increased significantly in tissues with serous cystadenocarcinoma, mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, endodermal sinus tumor and Krukenberg tumor. The results suggested that the enzyme might play a role in carcinogenesis of ovarian cancer.
2. Activities of neutral RNase in ovarian tissues were decreased significantly in serous cystadenocarcinoma and increased significantly in endodermal sinus tumor.
3. DEAE-cellulose column chromatographical analyses for RNases and proteins in ovarian cancer tissues revealed that RNase peak unique to ovarian cancer was not observed but peak I RNase present in normal ovarian tissues was not found in serous cystadenocarcinoma tissue. Significance of the disappearance of the peak I RNase was not understood in the present study.
4. Protein peaks exhibiting no RNase activity that were not observed in normal ovarian tissues were found in tissues with serous cystadenocarcinoma and endodermal sinus tumor, indicating the possibility of presence in the ovarian cancer tissues of non-RNase proteins unique to the cancer.
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