Effect of alpha tocopheryl succinate on adenylate cyclase activity in murine neuroblastoma cells in culture

Alpha tocopheryl succinate treatment (6-8 micrograms/ml), which inhibited the growth of murine neuroblastoma (NBP2) cells (46 +/- 3%), reduced basal and prostaglandin (PG)E1- and PGA2-stimulated adenylate cyclase (AC) activity in vitro. It also inhibited sodium fluoride (NaF)- and forskolin-stimulated AC activity, suggesting that the effect of vitamin E succinate on AC activity is mediated via stimulatory GTP-binding protein (Gs) and catalytic subunit. Vitamin E succinate-induced reduction of AC activity is not strictly related to inhibition of cell growth. This is substantiated by the finding that, although retinoic acid and butylated hydroxyanisole reduced the growth by over 50%, they did not inhibit AC activity. On the other hand, 4-(3-butoxy-4-methoxybenzyl)-2-imidazolidinone (R020-1724, 200 micrograms/ml), which inhibited growth (73 +/- 3%) and induced differentiation in NB cells, increased basal and PGE1-stimulated AC activity. Vitamin E succinate treatment also reduced PGE1- and PGA2-AC activity in murine fibroblasts (L-cells) without inhibiting growth.