Glucocorticoids increase tyrosine hydroxylase activity in cultured murine neuroblastoma

Cyclic AMP and glucocorticoids appear to have a role in regulating the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), as well as the expression of "morphological differentiation" in murine neuroblastoma. Monolayer cultures of C-1300 murine neuroblastoma (clone NBP2) were treated with the following compounds in ethanol: dexamethasone, triamcinolone acetonide, hydrocortisone, cortexolone, androstenedione, testosterone, estradiol-17 beta; or with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor Ro20-1724 [4-(3-butoxy-4-methoxybenzyl)-2-imidazolidinone]. Treatment with either 200 micrograms/ml Ro20-1724 or 50 micrograms/ml dexamethasone produced significant increases in TH activity compared to alcohol controls (1.44 vs. 0.82 nmol 14CO2/mg protein/hr compared to 0.095). Triamcinolone acetonide or hydrocortisone also produced smaller, but significant, increases in TH activity compared to dexamethasone. When steroid activities were compared at 25 microM concentration and after 60 min of incubation (to maximize TH activity), triamcinolone acetonide was not as effective (62%) as dexamethasone. The relatively inactive glucocorticoid cortexolone produced a slight but significant increase, while the androgens androstenedione and testosterone and the estrogen estradiol-17 beta were without effect.