Expression of histamine and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptors in immortalized rat fetal intestinal cells

Four intestinal cell lines derived from rat fetuses at 19 days of gestation were successfully propagated after electroporation in the presence of different recombinant DNAs containing the viral oncogenes E1A from Adenovirus 5 and large T from SV40 or Polyoma. These immortalized intestinal cells, designated SLC, possess several properties observed in the parent cells of this tissue, including the expression of cytoplasmic villin, enkephalinase and retention of VIP receptors. In contrast, histamine elevated cAMP levels in the SLC cell lines only. The data suggest that the transfection of fetal rat intestinal cells by E1A and large T is associated with the induction of functional histamine receptors coupled with the Gs/Gi regulatory proteins of adenylate cyclase.