Serotonin as a major serum factor inducing the phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of phosphoinositides in normal rat kidney cells.

Calf serum induced the phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of phosphoinositides in normal rat kidney (NRK) cells transformed by a temperature-sensitive Kirsten murine sarcoma virus (tsK-NRK cells). Various growth factors known to induce the phospholipase C reactions in other cell types, such as platelet-derived growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor, thrombin, vasopressin, bombesin, cholecystokinin, and prostaglandin F2 alpha, did not induce phospholipase C reactions in the transformed NRK cells. Furthermore, noradrenaline, histamine, dopamine, angiotensin II, carbachol, and tumor growth factor-beta did not induce phospholipase C reactions. However, serotonin did induce phospholipase C reactions. The amount of serotonin contained in the calf serum was sufficient to support 50% of the activity promoted by the serum itself, and calf serum-induced phospholipase C reactions were inhibited to 10-20% of the original level by ketanserin and methysergide, known to be antagonists for the serotonin receptors. Dialysis almost completely removed serotonin from calf serum and reduced the serum-induced phospholipase C reactions. Moreover, the phospholipase C reactions induced by calf serum and serotonin were inhibited by pretreatment of the cells with pertussis toxin or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. These results indicate that serotonin is one of the major serum factors inducing phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of phosphoinositides in transformed NRK cells. Serotonin induced phospholipase C reactions not only in tsK-NRK cells but also in nontransformed NRK cells. However, serotonin did not induce these reactions in Swiss 3T3 cells or NIH 3T3 cells.