title: Suppression of lymphocyte mitogenesis by tamoxifen: studies on protein kinase C, calmodulin and calcium.
abstract: The effect of tamoxifen (TX; 1.0 microM) on the mitogenic response of rat lymphocytes was compared with the effect of drugs that are known to act on protein kinase C (PKC), calmodulin (CM), and calcium (Ca(2+)). The calcium ionophore A23187 (0.2 microM) was mitogenic on its own which was not influenced by TX. The agents modulating PKC or CM (phorbol-myristate-13-acetate; R24571, chlorpromazine) influenced mitogenesis differently than did TX. General inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation was seen with the Ca(2+) antagonist agents (EGTA, TMB-8) as with TX. The antiproliferative effect of TX was partially reversed by the increase of Ca(2+) in the culture medium when T cell mitogens were used, but not in the case of lipid A, a B lymphocyte mitogen. However, the concanavalin A-induced Ca(2+) influx was further elevated by TX which differed from the effect of the Ca(2+) channel-blocking agent verapamil. The results suggest that TX resets the threshold stimulus necessary for mitogenesis and is completely reversible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, the Manitoba Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baral
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McNicol
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gerrard
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Berczi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D002147:Calmodulin; D008934:Mitogens; D013629:Tamoxifen; D000001:Calcimycin; D004958:Estradiol; D004247:DNA; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D002118:Calcium