[In vitro and in vivo effect of thyroid hormones on the growth of neuroblastoma cells. I. The effect of triiodothyronine in vitro].

The effect of triiodothyronine (T3) on the differentiation of cultured neuroblastoma (NB) cells was studied after 9 days of treatment with a dose of 10(-4) M/10(6) cells per day. Using phase contrast microscopy, 30-50% of NB cells showed formation of neurites as a morphological sign of cellular differentiation. The initial rise of the mitosis rate was followed by a plateau. Changes in cyclic nucleotide content, in the triphosphates and in the activity of the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) were assessed in 2 human and 2 murine cell lines to serve as biochemical parameters of the cell differentiation induced by T3. Whereas the cAMP level increased significantly (3 to 7 fold compared with its initial value), the cGMP value dropped to 30 to 50% of that of the control group. ATP and GTP increased about 200%, the ODC showed a decrease of about 50%. The present studies show a biphasic effect of T3 on neuroblastoma cells: the initial rise of mitotic activity is followed by increased cell differentiation starting from day 4 of the treatment.