Sodium butyrate-induced alteration of growth properties and glycogen levels in cultured human colon carcinoma cells.

The effect of sodium butyrate on three cultured human colon carcinoma cell lines was studied. Exposure to butyrate caused morphological changes and resulted in the alteration of several growth properties. Doubling times of treated cells were increased five-fold and saturation densities and cloning efficiencies were decreased, compared to untreated cells. Histochemical studies using the periodic acid-Schiff reaction in conjunction with diastase digestion showed that butyrate induced increased glycogen levels in all three cell lines. This increase was confirmed by biochemical techniques. These effects of butyrate were reversed when treated cells were subsequently grown in the absence of butyrate. These changes are consistent with findings from several laboratories that butyrate can induce phenotypic changes in cultured tumour cells.