Skip to main content
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1930 Aug 31;52(3):447–456. doi: 10.1084/jem.52.3.447

THE CATALYTIC EFFECT OF METHYLENE BLUE ON THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION OF TUMORS AND NORMAL TISSUES

E S Guzman Barron 1
PMCID: PMC2131874  PMID: 19869777

Abstract

1. Methylene blue has no catalytic effect on the oxygen consumption of those normal adult tissues which do not possess aerobic glycolysis. The dye increases the oxygen consumption of these tissues when their respiration has been inhibited by the addition of KCN and their fermentative power thus brought into action. 2. Methylene blue increases the oxygen consumption of normal tissues having aerobic glycolysis, and of tumors. 3. The effect of methylene blue is roughly proportional to the fermentative power of tissues.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (461.9 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Crabtree H. G. The carbohydrate metabolism of certain pathological overgrowths. Biochem J. 1928;22(5):1289–1298. doi: 10.1042/bj0221289. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dixon M., Elliott K. A. The effect of cyanide on the respiration of animal tissues. Biochem J. 1929;23(4):812–830. doi: 10.1042/bj0230812. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Harrop G. A., Barron E. S. STUDIES ON BLOOD CELL METABOLISM : I. THE EFFECT OF METHYLENE BLUE AND OTHER DYES UPON THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION OF MAMMALIAN AND AVIAN ERYTHROCYTES. J Exp Med. 1928 Jul 31;48(2):207–223. doi: 10.1084/jem.48.2.207. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES