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Effect of Retinoic Acid on the Late-Stage Promotion of Transformation in JB6 Mouse Epidermal Cells in Culture¹

Division of Radiation Oncology and Cancer Center [H. L. G., G. T. B.] and Department of Anatomy [L. M. M.], University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson, Arizona 85724

ß-All-trans-retinoic acid (RA) inhibited the anchorage-independent growth of JB6 cells induced by either mezerein or -epidermal growth factor (-EGF) (a purified fraction of epidermal growth factor). The inhibition was dose dependent for -EGF as well as for RA. Mezerein-induced growth in soft agar was inhibited to a greater extent by RA than was -EGF-induced growth in soft agar, at similar colony yields. The extent of inhibition of anchorage-dependent growth induced by RA was similar for nontransformed JB6 cells and for -EGF-transformed cells, so that transformation was shown not to influence the sensitivity of cells to retinoid inhibition of anchorage-dependent growth. RA was as effective at inhibiting anchorage-independent growth when it was applied after promoter-induced transformation as when it was applied during promoter-induced transformation. Therefore, the antiproliferative effect of RA, without an additional antitransformation effect, was sufficient to account for the reduced colony yield. These results suggest that the antipromoting action of retinoids in JB6 cells may occur by limiting proliferation, the regulation of which may be coupled with the state of differentiation of cells.

¹ This investigation was supported by NIH Grant CA-27502.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

³ Present address: Laboratorie de Genetique Moieculaire def Eucaryotes, 11, Rue Humann, 60785 Strasbourg Cedex, France.

Received 8/27/84. Revised 1/11/85. Accepted 1/23/85.