AbstractThe role of growth hormone (GH) in the differentiation process of Obi 771 mouse preadipocyte cells has been studied under culture conditions that were serum-free and hormone-supplemented and which were previously shown to lead to terminal differentiation. In the absence of GH, a dramatic decrease in the adipogenic activity of the culture medium could be observed, as indicated 12 days after confluence by the low levels of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and the sharp reduction of the number of triacylglycerol-containing cells. This decrease in adipogenic activity was accompanied by a parallel loss of the mitogenic potency of the culture medium. Determination of the half-maximal and maximal concentrations of GH required for the restoration of growth and differentiation were identical, 0.5 and 2 nM, respectively. Despite the presence of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) to substitute for supraphysiological concentrations of insulin and to saturate IGF-I receptor, GH was still required to induce terminal differentiation of a maximal number of cells. However, protein kinase C activators such as prostaglandin F2a, phorbol esters and diacylglycerol were able to mimic GH in promoting a maximal mitogenic-adipogenic response, indicating that the ability of GH to induce diacylglycerol production (Doglio et al., 1989; Catalioto et al., 1990) plays a prominent role in this process. Furthermore, in agreement with the fact that the mitoses which precede terminal differentiation of Obi 771 preadipocytes are strictly controlled by cAMP and only modulated by protein kinase C., terminal differentiation of Ob 1771 preadipocytes occured in the absence of GH upon supplementation with high concentrations of carbaprostacyclin, added as a cAMP-elevating agent or with 8-Br-cAMP, added as a cAMP analogue. It is concluded that the control exerted by GH on terminal differentiation of mouse preadipocytes corresponds to a modulating mitogenic effect mediated through protein kinase C activation and leading to a potentiation of the cAMP and IGF-I mitogenic signalling pathways.