We have previously shown that Swiss 3T3 cells located in the first part of G1 (post-mitotic G1 cells younger than 4.0 h or G1pm cells) were arrested after 9-10 h in the cell cycle by a short (1-8 h) exposure to serum-free medium or by a short (2-4 h) exposure to low doses of the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CH). Kinetic data indicate that such G1pm cells rapidly return to G0 during this brief treatment and thereafter require a preparatory period of 8 h before continuing to G1. Cells older than 4 h, i.e. cells in mid or late G1 are already committed to DNA synthesis (presynthesis or G1ps cells). These cells as well as S and G2 cells were consequently unaffected by the brief serum starvation or the brief treatment with cycloheximide. In the present paper we show that the 10-h intermitotic delay that follows a 1-2 h exposure to serum-free medium can be completely counteracted by the presence of any one of the purified growth factors, epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin or platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). In contrast, the intermitotic delay following a longer exposure (8 h) to serum-free medium could no longer be counteracted by EGF or insulin. However, PDGF was still active in this respect. Most interestingly, the 12 h gross intermitotic delay induced by a 4h exposure to CH could be efficiently counteracted by EGF, PDGF or insulin. However, this effect on CH-treated cells could be counteracted by the growth factor only in the presence of 10% serum. This indicates the existence of a cooperative effect between PDGF, EGF or insulin and an unidentified serum factor. The effects on the cell cycle time of brief serum starvation and exposure to CH were compared with the effects on rate of protein synthesis and degradation. Although the effects of serum starvation on protein synthesis and degradation were found to be partially normalized by growth factors, we suggest that growth factors prevent cells from leaving the cell cycle by another mechanism and not merely by affecting the level of overall protein accumulation.