Induction of proliferation in dense non-starved 3T3 cells by Ca++ ionophore A23187

The proliferogenic effect of the Ca++ ionophore A23187 was tested in dense non-starved 3T3 cells. Whereas continuous exposure during 48 h of cells to the ionophore at concentrations is larger than or equal to 0.4 muM cytotoxic, a short exposure for 30 s up to 4 min at 0.2 muM was proliferogenic. It was also found that such short exposures to the ionophore caused a transient increase in the intracellular level of cyclic GMP and a roughly simultaneously appearing decrease in the intracellular level of cyclic AMP.