Prostaglandin synthetase activity and hormone responsiveness in normal and SV40 transformed WI-38 fibroblasts.

Prostaglandin (PG) synthetase activity and selective hormone responsiveness were examined in normal and SV40 transformed WI-38 fibroblasts (VA13-2RA). The transformed VA13-2RA cells have significantly reduced rates of PGE1, PGE2, PGF1alpha and PGF2alpha synthesis as compared to the normal WI-38 fibroblast. The transformed cell in contrast to the normal cell hyperresponds to stimulation by L-epinephrine (10 muM) and PGE1 (8.5 muM) but is unresponsive to bradykinin (BK) as measured by the accumulation of intracellular cyclic AMP. Indomethacin treatment does not significantly alter the PGE1 and L-epinephrine (EPI) responsiveness of the normal WI-38 fibroblast, however it abolishes the BK response in these cells. These results provide further evidence for the dependency of cell activation by bradykinin on the PG synthetase system. No experimental data was found to support the role of PGs as negative regulators of PGE1 and EPI responsiveness in the WI-38 fibroblast. Using the VA13-2RA cells, limited attempts to recover PG synthetase activity comparable to that found in normal WI-38 cells were unsuccessful. The VA13-2RA cell and its normal counterpart represent models for investigating the role of PGs in cell function and the mechanism of BK activation and its effect on cell metabolism.