Metabolic behaviour of the HEP-2p neoplastic cells to the action of a bioactive fungal exopolysaccharidic extract

The in vitro cytostatic treatment of the HEp-2p tumoral cell cultures with an autochthonous original glucanic biopreparation has conditioned the perturbation of the glucidic, lipidic and proteic intermediary metabolism processes, of the nucleic acids biochemistry and of the cell respiration. The metabolic profile of the treated cells seems to be of catabolic type, being outlined by the enhancement of the glicogenolysis, glycolysis, lipolysis and proteolysis, of intensification of intracellular consumption of the glucose, lactic acid and aminoacids, of inhibitory effect upon nucleic acids biosynthesis and by the intensification of the respiration. These metabolic events were considered on the basis of the reduced contents of glycogen, glucose, lactic acid, total lipids, soluble and unsoluble proteins, DNA and RNA biomolecules and by the route and amplitude of the cellular respiration dynamics. The new tumoral cells metabolic behaviour induced by the glucanic extract – analyzed in comparison with that of the control untreated tumoral cells – can be the consequence of an interaction between the bioactive agent either with the membrane receptors or with intracellular receptors.