Specific activity of glycosidases in brain tumors and their expression in primary explants culture

Glycosidases such as β-galactosidase, β-glucosidase and β-hexosaminidase were assayed by monitoring the release of product methyl umbelliferone spectro-flourimetrically in meningiomas (n=96), gliomas (n=101) and in their derived cell lines (n=17) and (n=10) respectively. Glycosidases showed significant specific activity in case of brain tumors as compared to normal brain. β-galactosidase and β-Hexosaminidase has got more activity in all meningiomas and in majority of gliomas, while passages expressed more activity (in first) in majority of meningiomas and gliomas. However β-hexosaminidase  showed higher activity in respective passages of all glioma cell cultures when compared with parent tumors, but not for β-glucosidase. Activity of β-glucosidase did not show significant changes in tumors to that of normal brain. Therefore β-galactosidase and β-hexosaminidase exhibited similar activity in brain tumors and in their cell cultures which confirms their identical enzymatic function in metabolism of tumors related to the stability in confluency of monolayer cells of primary explants.