Vasoactive intestinal peptide synergistically stimulates DNA synthesis in mouse 3T3 cells: role of cAMP, Ca2+, and protein kinase C

Vasoactive intestinal peptide synergistically stimulated initiation of DNA synthesis in Swiss 3T3 cells. The peptide stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation in the presence of insulin and either forskolin or an inhibitor of cAMP phosphodiesterase in a concentration-dependent manner. Half-maximal effect was obtained at 1 nM. At mitogenic concentrations, VIP stimulated a marked accumulation (eightfold) of cAMP. In contrast to other growth-promoting neuropeptides, VIP did not induce an increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ or an activation of protein kinase C. We conclude that neuropeptides can modulate long-term cell proliferation through multiple signaling pathways.