title: The role of butyrate in the reverse transformation reaction in mammalian cells.
abstract: The reverse transformation reaction of Chinese hamster ovary cells from compact, epithelial-like, randomly growing, heavily knobbed, lectin reactive cells into stretched, tighly adherent, smooth-surfaced, lectin resistant, fibroblast-like cells normally elicited by dibutyryl cAMP can be produced to its complete extent by N6-monobutyryl cAMP or 8-bromo-cAMP, O2'-monobutyryl cAMP is ineffective as is cAMP itself in the absence of an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase activity. In the presence of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, cAMP is fully effective. These results indicate that the role of the butyryl groups of dibutyryl cAMP and, especially, the N6-butyryl, in the reverse transformation reaction is protection of the cAMP analogue from degradation. Butyrate at concentrations of about 1 mM does produce a response which to some extent mimics that of cAMP analogues. The cells, however, fail to assume a fibroblastic-like shape, but rather become flattened. The butyrate effect is much slower and less readily reversible than that evoked by cAMP analogues. Butyrate produces an approximately 2-fold increase in intracellular cAMP levels. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that butyrate effects, in part, are mediated by AMP.
mesh_terms: D002087:Butyrates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D013738:Testolactone / Q000494:pharmacology; D013806:Theophylline / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002087:Butyrates; D003208:Concanavalin A; D013738:Testolactone; D013806:Theophylline; D000242:Cyclic AMP