Inhibition of growth by 6-hydroxydopamine in cultured cells of neuronal and nonneuronal origin.

The effect of 6-hydroxydopamine on growth and viability of cultured cells of sympathetic (neuroblastoma), glial, and fibroblast origin was examined. In contrast to previous reports, inhibition of growth was not specific to neuroblastoma cells. The degree of inhibition was correlated with permeability of cell membrane to dopamine-14C or 6-hydroxydopamine-14 C and with sensitivity of the membrane energy-dependent transport mechanism. Inhibition of cell division could not be attributed to inhibition of ribonucleotide reducÃ-ase, DNA polymerase, or thymidine kinase, since 10~4 M 6-hydroxydop