Inhibition of development of Na+‐dependent hexose transport in renal epithelial LLC‐PK1 cells by differentiation‐stimulating factor for myeloid leukemic cells/leukemia inhibitory factor

Abstract

Differentiation‐stimulating factor (D‐factor)/leukemia inhibitory factor is a cytokine inducing differentiation of mouse myeloid leukemie M1‐T22 cells. The effect of recombinant human D‐factor on growth and differentiation of pig kidney LLC‐PK₁ cells was examined. LLC‐PK₁ cells did not concentrate α‐methylglucoside during their early growth in culture but developed the capacity to concentrate this hexose as they reached confluence and their growth rate decreased. Purified D‐factor caused dose‐dependent inhibition of the development of this concentrative capacity. It did not affect the growth rate of the cells, but inhibited the formation of multicellular domes in confluent cultures. LLC‐PK, cells were found to have high‐affinity binding sites (831 per cell) for D‐factor with a dissociation constant of 197 pM.