Glucocorticoid and thyroid hormones inhibit proliferation of serum-free mouse embryo (SFME) cells

Mouse embryo cells derived in a serum-free medium formulation (SFME cells) do not exhibit growth crisis or chromosomal abnormalities and are nontumorigenic in vivo; these cells are also reversibly growth inhibited by serum or platelet-free plasma (Loo et al.; Science, 236:200-202, 1987). A portion of the inhibitory activity of serum could be extracted by charcoal, a procedure that removes steroid and thyroid hormones. Both L-3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) and hydrocortisone inhibited growth of SFME cells in a reversible manner. The inhibitory activity of serum also was partially removed by treatment with anion exchange resin in a procedure designed to deplete serum of thyroid hormone. However, the effect of serum on untransformed SFME cells could not be prevented by addition of the antiglucocorticoid RU38486, and ras-transformed clones of SFME cells, which are capable of growing in serum-containing medium, retained inhibitory responses to glucocorticoid and, with some clonal variability, to T3. These results suggest that glucocorticoid or thyroid hormones may contribute to the inhibitory activity of serum on SFME cells, but additional factors are also involved.