Glucocorticoid hormones increase the activity of plasma membrane alkaline phosphodiesterase I in rat hepatoma cells.

In rat hepatoma cells the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone causes a 3-fold increase in the activity of the plasma membrane enzyme alkaline phosphodiesterase I (oligonucleat 5'-nucleotidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.1). The data are consistent with an induction phenomenon mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor involved in tyrosine aminotransferase induction. The effect on alkaline phosphodiesterase I is not a reflection of a general membrane effect of dexamethasone, because the activity of three other enzymes of the plasma membrane is unaffected. On the other hand, nucleoside diphosphatase (nucleoside diphosphate phosphohydrolase acting on ADP) activity is inhibited. Thus, two more enzymes sensitive to glucocorticoids have been identified in a cell line in which these hormones influence only very few gene products. This paper describes enzymatic changes in the plasma membrane of rat hepatoma cells in which glucocorticoids normalize a number of membrane-associated processes that are considered to be characteristic of transformed cells.