Arrest of cultured rat liver cells in G2 phase by the treatment with dibutyryl cAMP.

When rat liver cells which had been grown in a protein- and lipid-free synthetic medium were incubated in the presence of dibutyryl adenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate (But₂cAMP) and theophylline, labeling index of cells with ³H]-thymidine was decreased. Percentage of cells which had twice the amount of DNA per nucleus compared to the basic value increased during the cultivation of cells in the presence of the drugs. Mitotic index increased immediately after the removal of the drugs. From these results, it was concluded that But₂cAMP arrested the cell cycle mainly at G2 phase.