An effect of dexamethasone on adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate content and adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase activity of cultured hepatoma cells.

The effect of dexamethasone on adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) phosphodiesterase activity in cultured HTC hepatoma cells was investigated. Homogenates of these cells contain phosphodiesterase activity with two apparent Michaelis constants for cAMP (2-5 mum and 50 mum). At all substrate concentrations tested, phosphodiesterase activity was decreased 25-40% in cells incubated for 36 hr or more with 1 mum dexamethasone. Acid phosphatase activity in the same cells was not decreased. alpha-Methyl testosterone, 1 mum, was without effect on phosphodiesterase activity. Incubation for 10 min with epinephrine plus theophylline increased the cAMP content of the HTC cells 3- to 6-fold. In cells incubated for 72 hr with dexamethasone, the basal concentration of cAMP was slightly increased and the increment produced by epinephrine plus theophylline was markedly increased. We believe that in many cells the so-called permissive effects of steroid hormones on cAMP mediated processes may be due to an effect of these hormones on cAMP phosphodiesterase activity similar to that observed in HTC cells incubated with dexamethasone.