Differential short-term effects of growth factors on fatty acid synthesis in isolated rat-liver cells.

Hepatocytes in suspension, freshly isolated from meal-fed rats, were used to study the acute influence of growth factors on the rate of de novo fatty acid synthesis. Nerve growth factor (2.5 S) and epidermal growth factor caused a substantial increase in the rate of fatty acid synthesis, whereas fibroblast growth factor was inhibitory. Little effect was observed with nerve growth factor (7 S), bombesin or substance P. Transferrin did not affect hepatic fatty acid synthesis. The results are discussed in relation to the effects of insulin and tumor-promoting phorbol esters.