Influence of glucocorticoid, estrogen, and androgen hormones on transformation of human cells in vitro by feline sarcoma virus.

Infection of human foreskin cells (D-550) by the Snyder-Theilen strain of feline sarcoma virus produced small but countable foci and demonstrated "single-hit" dose-response kinetics. Significant quantitative and qualitative enhancement of focus formation was observed when the glucocorticoid hormones, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, cortisol acetate, and prednisolone were added to cell cultures (1.0 mug/ml) 24 hr postinfection. However, aldosterone, while inducing qualitatively larger foci, did not bring about a quantitative enhancement in total foci number. By contrast, 17beta-estradiol, progesterone, cortisone acetate, methyltestosterone, and estrone elicited little or no effect on focus induction by Snyder-Theilen feline sarcoma virus. Evidence is suggestive of a posttranscriptional effect possibly modulating viral genome expression resulting in an increased efficiency of viral transformation, and an increased proliferation of transformed cells.