The aim of this investigation was to define characteristic properties of cellular energy metabolism in meningiomas in vitro dependent on the histological subtype. We analysed marker enzymes of representative metabolic pathways localized in the mitochondria (respiratory chain, citric acid cycle, beta-oxidation of fatty acids) and in the cytoplasm (glycolysis, pentose phosphate shunt). The activities of the intramitochondrial enzymes were significantly reduced in the meningiomas compared to normal cortex tissue. Glycolytic enzymes were not significantly different, but the marker enzyme of the pentose phosphate shunt was increased by a factor of 3.5-6 in the tumours. Further analysis of the histological subtypes showed that phosphofructokinase and lactate dehydrogenase were significantly increased in the anaplastic meningiomas compared to the benign subtypes.