Cyclic AMP regulation of mammary tumor virus production.

Addition of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (cAMP) and agents (isoproterenol and epinephrine) that stimulate the activities of adenylate cyclase enhance the stimulation of mammary tumor virus (MTV) production two- to threefold by glucocorticoid in short-term primary cultures of mammary tumors. This cAMP potentiation seems to depend on the stimulated level of MTV production by glucocorticoid alone, which increases MTV production 5- to 10-fold over basal level but varies greatly in absolute terms. When the stimulated level by glucocorticoid alone is suboptimal, cAMP seems to restore the sensitivity of the cells to the stimulatory effect of glucocorticoid to its maximum.