Endocrine responsiveness in human melanocytes and melanoma cells in culture.

Studies were performed for the investigation of endocrine responsiveness in cell lines derived from either normal human melanocytes or human melanoma cells. Alterations in differentiation (tyrosinase activity) were determined in cells exposed to either melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH, 10(-7) M), theophylline (10(-3) M), N6,O2'-dibutyryl cyclic AMP (db-cAMP, 10(-4) M), or prostaglandin E1 (PGE1, 10(-6) M). Cultures derived from normal uveal melanocytes demonstrated increased tyrosinase activity upon exposure to either theophylline, db-cAMP, or PGE1, but not to MSH. However, MSH responsiveness was detected in 7 of 11 human melanoma cell lines. Four cell lines demonstrated increased activity of tyrosinase after MSH treatment, whereas three lines showed an MSH-induced inhibition of enzyme activity. PGE1 was effective in stimulating tyrosinase activity in five of nine cell lines examined. Theophylline was the most effective stimulator of tyrosinase in melanoma-derived cell populations and caused increased enzyme activity in eight of eleven cell lines.