Lethal effect of glucose load on tumor cells in hypoxia

: The in vitro treatment of the Ehrlich ascites tumour (EAT) cells with glucose for 15 and 60 min under hypoxic conditions leads to a decrease in their survival by a factor of 10(2) and 10(4). Glucose load is ineffective under normal oxygenation. The mass destruction of EAT cells under the influence of glucose takes place within the first 24 hours in the interphase. The lethal effect of different pH values on EAT cells is independent of the way by which the given pH value was reached (glucose load or phosphate buffer). The same values of pH lead to the same effect on EAT cells. The lethal effect markedly increased when the value of pH was lower than 5.6. It is concluded that the lethal effect of the glucose load is due to self acidification of EAT cells.