Impairment of enzyme induction by glucocorticoids in Zajdela hepatoma cells.

Whereas glucocorticoids induce TAT, TRP, GPT in liver and only TAT in HTC cells, no hormonal effect on the synthesis of these enzymes was found in Zajdela hepatoma cells grown in vivo as an ascitic tumor, or in vitro as layer cultures. Although these cells remain uninducible, the hormone penetrates normally, but a strong decrease of the specific binding of cytosol and nuclear proteins with the hormone was observed. The impairment at the level of the hormone receptors could account for the non-inducibility of enzyme synthesis in ZHC cells.