title: Factors regulating the production of vasopressin-associated human neurophysin by small-cell carcinoma of the lung: evaluation by computer-enhanced quantitative immunocytochemistry.
abstract: Expression of the vasopressin gene appears to be a property common to all small-cell lung tumours. For some cultures of small-cell lung carcinoma (SCCL), Northern and Western Blot analyses have revealed that expression of this gene and its protein products are regulated by cAMP and glucocorticoids. In this study, these evaluations have been extended by examining the production of vasopressin-associated human neurophysin (VP-HNP) by computer-enhanced quantitative immunocytochemistry in a classical cell-line (H69) of SCCL, and defining the amount of protein in cells by area of positive staining above an arbitrarily set threshold. Intracellular cAMP was raised by incubating cells with either 8,Br-cAMP (0.5 mM) and IBMX (0.5 mM), or with forskolin (25 microM) and IBMX (0.5 mM). Both of these treatments caused a significant increase in the amount of positive VP-HNP immunoreactivity in the cells, an increase that was further enhanced by simultaneous administration of dexamethasone (0.1 microM). Addition of dexamethasone alone, however, caused a significant decrease in VP-HNP levels. Results confirm earlier findings from Western Blot analysis revealing the influence these agents have on production of vasopressin gene-related proteins by H69 cells, and indicate that computer-enhanced quantitative immunocytochemistry can be effectively used to provide a suitable index of this production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Friedmann
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fay
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Memoli
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: North
mesh_terms: D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D005576:Colforsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology*; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D003720:Densitometry / Q000379:methods*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009481:Neurophysins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009481:Neurophysins; D014667:Vasopressins; D005576:Colforsin; D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine