[Growth and invasion of differentiated thyroid gland carcinoma: importance of signal transduction].

We investigated the role of three different signal transduction systems adenylate-cyclase (AC), protein kinase C (PKC) and tyrosine kinase (TK) for growth and invasion of a human follicular (FTC133) and a human papillary thyroid cancer cell line (PTC-UC1). Cyclic AMP stimulators and inhibitors had no effect at any concentration. The PKC agonist TPA enhanced both growth and invasion of FTC133 by 15%, whereas staurosporine, a PKC antagonist, inhibited growth by 47% and invasion by 32%. The latter also reversed thyrotropin (TSH) stimulation, but not epidermal growth factor (EFG) stimulation. EGF-stimulated growth and invasion of both cell lines were abolished by EGF-receptor antagonism using a monoclonal antibody. The tyrosine kinase antagonist genistein reversed EGF, but not TSH, stimulation. Pertussis toxin inhibited growth (FTC133: 22%) and invasion (FTC133: 18%). Cholera toxin was less inhibitory. Obviously, signal transduction of differentiated thyroid cancer is complex and systems other than adenylate cyclase are crucial for basal invasion and growth of follicular thyroid cancer cells in culture.