Butyrate converts rat 3T3 fibroblasts into giant cells

Butyrate inhibits proliferation of rat 3T3 cells by blocking the cell cycle in late G1. In these cells, DNA synthesis is completely arrested 24 h after butyrate addition, whereas RNA and protein synthesis proceed unaffected. This partial inhibition of proliferation progressively converts normal cells into giant ones. Transcription and protein synthesis are both more intense in the giant cells than in normal cells. Cell enlargement is inhibited by cell-to-cell contact and the conversion of a normal into a giant cell is reversible. Giant cells may be of use when designing new approaches to the study of cell structure and motility as well as differentiation and proliferation.