Dimethylsulfoxide-induced alterations in the growth properties and protein composition of in vitro-propagated murine hepatoma cells.

The effects of the differentiation-inducing agent dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) on the growth properties and protein synthetic capacity of BW77-1 mouse hepatoma cells were compared at various media concentrations of the polar solvent. DMSO produced a dose-dependent reduction in final population density, reduced or eliminated cell piling and stimulated synthesis of albumin. The rising albumin content reflected dose-related DMSO-induced increases in total cellular protein and in the albumin contribution to total cellular protein. In order to determine whether viral gene expression was associated with DMSO-induced stimulation of albumin synthesis, BW77-1 cultures were examined for the production of ecotropic and xenotropic type C virus. The BW77-1 hepatic tumor cell line was determined to be a nonproducer of type C virus by assays designed to measure extracellular reverse transcriptase, viral env gene product and infectivity on mouse and mink indicator cells. Type C virus could not be induced in BW77-1 cultures by treatment with DMSO under conditions which lead to a reduced proliferative capacity and enhanced expression liver-specific genes.