Mitogenic and comitogenic properties of the indole alkaloid class of tumor promotors.

We determined the mitogenic and comitogenic properties of tumor promoters in the indole alkaloid series; agents that differ structurally from 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), which is known to be a lymphocyte mitogen. Teleocidin and dihydroteleocidin B were mitogenic for human lymphocytes, and lyngbyatoxin A elicited little or no mitogenesis. Catalase enhanced the mitogenicity of teleocidin and dihydroteleocidin B, and lyngbyatoxin A was also mitogenic in the presence of catalase. The potency of the agents was TPA = teleocidin greater than dihydroteleocidin B greater than lyngbyatoxin A. Dimethylsulfoxide and butyric acid markedly inhibited proliferation induced by these agents in human lymphocytes. The indole alkaloid tumor promoters were all comitogenic for murine thymocytes and induced production of interleukin-2. While the comitogenic effect of teleocidin was similar to that of TPA in its susceptibility to inhibition by dimethylsulfoxide and butyric acid, the comitogenic effect of dihydroteleocidin B and lyngbyatoxin A were less susceptible to these agents. These findings may facilitate the identification of cellular sites responsible for the inhibitory effect of differentiating agents on proliferative responses of lymphocytes.