Metabolism and cancer

Abstract

All the energy driving life is generated in the sun by atomic reactions. Some of this energy reaches our globe in the form of a radiation commonly called “sunshine”. A small part of this sunshine is captured by the photosynthetic apparatus of plants, which use the energy of the radiation for the splitting of water molecules into H and O. By this reaction the sunshine is traded in for a thermodynamic potential, that of H and O, and so, henceforth the sole source of the energy of life has to be this thermodynamic potential. To keep life going the energy of this potential has to be released. This can be done by reversing the reaction which produced the potential, reversing the splitting of water and bringing H and O together to form water again, that is, oxidizing the hydrogen. The big energy gap between H and O can be bridged by performing the oxidation of H piecemeal in reversible steps. This oxidation of the hydrogen is the core of the metabolism. The metabolism was studied in the potato by means of the “guaiac reaction”, that is, the blue color developed on the cut surface of the tuber wetted by a solution of guaiac resin. This study has led to ascorbic acid as a member of the chain of redox pairs connecting H and O. The study of the metabolism in wheat has led to methoxyhydroquinone and dimethoxybenzoquinone, which also form redox couples and are part of the chain of reactions connecting the potential of H and O. This chain consists of hydro- and benzoquinone, 2, 6-dimethoxyhydro- and benzoquinone, ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid, and NAD and NAD(P)H. Neither ascorbic acid nor 2, 6-dimethoxybenzoquinone has an inhibitory action on cancer, but together they give a strong inhibition. The difference in midpoint potential between the two is relatively small, and so the electron tarries long in its uncoupled transfer state between the two. From this state the electron can be transferred to outside points, taking with it part of the energy of the H—O potential. Evidence which suggests that the methoxy group is produced in the adrenal cortex, is increasing.