Abstract
α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) is known to stimulate melanogenesis in murine melanoma, particularly in Cloudman S-91 melanoma cells. The effects of MSH and insulin on the proliferation of S91 murine melanoma cells have aroused controversy; in various reports, both hormones have been reported to either stimulate or inhibit murine melanoma growth. In our studies both MSH and insulin stimulated the colony-forming ability and the proliferative capacity of S-91 murine melanoma cells grown in soft agar with either serum-supplemented or serum-less medium. Unless insulin and/or MSH were present, Cloudman S-91 melanoma cells failed to clone in soft agar. The insulin effect was greater than that of MSH, and was more pronounced in serum-less than in serum-supplemented medium. The concurrent treatment of S91 melanoma cells with both MSH and insulin resulted in a greater increase in the total number of colonies formed than caused by treatment with either hormone alone. The combined MSH-insulin stimulation of anchorage-independent growth was specific, since the effect could not be mimicked by epidermal growth factor (EGF), gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GRH), luteinizing hormone (LH), nerve growth factor (NGF) or platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Therefore, MSH and insulin may be specific growth factors for murine melanoma cells.
Highlights
Title Anchorage-independent growth of murine melanoma in serum-less media is dependent on insulin or melanocyte-stimulating hormone
The concurrent treatment of S91 melanoma cells with both Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) and insulin resulted in a greater increase in the total number of colonies formed than caused by treatment with either hormone alone
The combined MSH-insulin stimulation of anchorage-independent growth was specific, since the effect could not be mimicked by epidermal growth factor (EGF), gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GRH), luteinizing hormone (LH), nerve growth factor (NGF) or platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)
Summary
Title Anchorage-independent growth of murine melanoma in serum-less media is dependent on insulin or melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Colony formation in agar may be the best in vitro assay for transformation [S, 91, and has been used to study the biology of human tumor cells as well as to estimate the chemosensitivity of human tumor cells to new and established drugs, as determined by their ability to inhibit colony growth [l&15]. This system has been used to study the effect of biological modifiers on the clonogenic growth of human melanoma [16-191. The data presented in this study indicate that the anchorage-independent growth of murine melanoma colony-forming cells (MCFU) was dependent on insulin and/or MSH, and support the contention that insulin and MSH-like peptides might function as growth factors in supporting the growth of transformed murine melanoma cells
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