Sodium butyrate produces concordant expression of "early placental" alkaline phosphatase, pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein and human chronic gonadotropin beta-subunit in a newly established uterine cervical cancer cell line (SKG-IIIa).

The production of early and term placental alkaline phosphatase (ALP), human chorionic gonadotropin beta-subunit (beta-hCG) and pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein (SP1) was confirmed in the newly established uterine cervical cancer call line SKG-IIIa. Treatment of these cells in culture with sodium butyrate caused an increase of all of these oncodevelopmental proteins. On the other hand, prednisolone treatment enhanced only term placental ALP, while it reduced early placental ALP, beta-hCG and SP1. These data suggested that such oncotrophoblastic proteins as early placental ALP, beta-hCG and SP1 were concordantly modulated by butyrate and prednisolone. These findings may support the possibility of the reexpression of sets of development phase-specific genes in cancer cells.