title: Effects of retinoic acid metabolites on proliferation and differentiation of the clonal rhabdomyosarcoma cell line BA-HAN-1C.
abstract: The clonal rat rhabdomyosarcoma cell line BA-HAN-1C is composed of proliferating mononuclear cells, some of which spontaneously fuse to terminally differentiated myotube-like giant cells. This cell line has been shown to be susceptible to differentiation induction with all-trans retinoic acid (RA). Since it is still unknown whether exclusively all-trans RA itself or also its metabolites can act as inductive compounds in our cell line, we exposed BA-HAN-1C cells to the metabolites 4-hydroxy RA, 4-oxo RA and 5,6-epoxy RA. Exposure to these RA metabolites resulted in a significant inhibition of proliferation (P < 0.001) and induction of cellular differentiation, as evidenced by a significant increase in the number of myotube-like giant cells (P < 0.05) and a significant increase in creatine kinase activity (P < 0.05). However, differences in the inductive potency of these RA metabolites became apparent. Furthermore, RA metabolites exhibited a significantly weaker (P < 0.05) inductive activity when compared to all-trans RA. Summarizing our results we could demonstrate that the endogenous metabolites 4-hydroxy RA, 4-oxo RA and 5,6-epoxy RA are not merely deactivated cellular excretion products of all-trans RA, but potent inducers of differentiation and inhibitors of proliferation, possibly contributing to the complex physiological actions of retinoic acid.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Hospital, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ramp
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Gerharz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eifler
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Biesalski
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Gabbert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D051381:Rats; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000473:pathology; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014212:Tretinoin; D003402:Creatine Kinase