Induction of blood coagulation factor VIII by sodium butyrate in Balb/c 3T3 cells

Balb/c 3T3 cells have long been used in cell biological studies. When cells were treated with 2 mM sodium butyrate they became flattened and their nuclei became small relative to the cytoplasm. Electron micrographically, intracellular organellae developed significantly: the number of mitochondria increased and membranous structures, namely the rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, developed markedly. Blood coagulation factor VIII was induced in the presence of 2 mM sodium butyrate in a cell sonicate, but not in culture medium. The amount of this factor was almost 100-fold that in the nontreated cells 4 days after culture initiation, indicating that the cloned Balb/c 3T3 cells were of endothelial origin.