Abstract
Pyridine and adenine nucleotide levels were measured in Friend erythroleukaemia cells (FELC) stimulated to growth and induced to differentiate by hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA) and N'‐methylnicotinamide (N'‐MNAM). A threeto fourfold increase in the NADP(H) was found to parallel cell growth stimulation in both the presence and absence of differentiation inducers. NAD(H) increased about twofold in control and to a minor extent in HMBA‐treated FELC but did not vary significantly in N'‐MNAM‐treated cells. ATP was significantly higher in control cells stimulated to growth than in resting ones, but it did not vary in inducer‐treated cells. These data confirm the relationship between high NADP(H) levels and cell resumption to growth; moreover they show that NAD(H) pool reduction and NAD/NADH ratio rise are associated with the process of FELC differentiation. The activities of NAD pyrophosphorylase and NAD kinase are much more enhanced in growth‐stimulated FELC than in resting ones. On the other hand transition from the quiescent to the proliferative state was accompanied by a decrease in the activity of poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase. A decrease in poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase activity was also found in differentiated cells in contrast to Controls. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.