Transcriptional regulation of genes encoding insulin, glucagon, and angiotensinogen by sodium butyrate in a rat islet cell line.

The state of differentiation of various neoplastic cell lines is inversely correlated with the rate of cellular growth. To delineate the changes in hormone gene expression associated with an induced decrease in the growth rate of rat insulinoma cells, we studied the effects of sodium butyrate on the expression of the genes encoding insulin, glucagon, and angiotensinogen. Sodium butyrate inhibited cellular proliferation and decreased levels of c-myc mRNA. Concomitantly, steady-state levels of mRNAs encoding insulin and glucagon increased by 10- and 8.5-fold, respectively, as a result of a specific increase in the transcription of both genes. Sodium butyrate also inhibited angiotensinogen gene expression, which was ectopic in the insulinoma cells. These observations suggest that sodium butyrate induces a pattern of events leading to the differentiation of the rat insulinoma cells.