[Experimental study on maturational therapy of osteosarcoma cell]

We investigated the differentiation-inducing effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dBc AMP) on several cultured osteosarcoma cell lines (DUNN, MOLONEY, OST, FBJ). 1. Cell growth rates of all the osteosarcoma cell lines were reduced by 3mM dBc AMP. 2. Both alkaline phosphatase activity and 45Ca2(+)-uptake were promoted by 3mM dBc AMP. 3. There was, in each cell line except for the OST cells, a marked enlargement of the cell processes under the light microscopic observation. At the electron microscopic level, there were also many findings indicating an increase in cell functions. These results suggest that the differentiation may be induced by cAMP in osteosarcoma cells, and that the differentiation therapy by cAMP-related drugs is promising for a clinical application.