The effects of butyrate and glucagon on the proliferation of ruminal epithelial cells in culture.

When the rate of ruminal epithelial cell proliferation was measured on the basis of 3H-thymidine incorporation into the cellular DNA, butyrate dose-dependently reduced 3H-thymidine incorporation. In contrast, glucagon at 10 and 100 pg/ml had a slight stimulatory effect on the incorporation, but only in the absence of butyrate.