In vitro proliferation and differentiation of myogenic cells from adult Xenopus

A technique is described for isolating amphibian myogenic cells from the muscle of adult Xenopus laevis (Dauchin). Muscles were dissociated with 0.2% collagenase and 0.1% trypsin. The resulting cell suspensions were separated from the remaining myofibres by filtration through nylon grids. Most of the cells remaining in the filtrate suspension were satellite cells or fibroblasts. When plated in Petri dishes, satellite cells adhered to the substrate, became spindle-shaped and proliferated activity in a culture medium supplemented with fetal calf serum. Mitotic waves lasted 4 days and consequently cell density markedly increased. Satellite cells came into contact and began to fuse into myotubes on day 8 of culture. Horse serum, which replaced fetal calf serum in the medium on day 12, accelerated cell fusions which were almost complete on day 18. However, under these conditions, some mononucleated cells continued to undergo mitosis. Cell proliferation with a high rate of mitosis was prolonged by repeated trypsinization and replating in medium supplemented with fetal calf serum. When myofibres from dissociated muscles were cultured under the same conditions, they never fragmented or divided.     

In vitro mineralization by mesenchymal stem cells cultured on titanium scaffolds

Titanium has been utilized in the field of orthopaedic and dental reconstructive surgery, but mineralization through osteogenic differentiation of osteogenic cells on titanium surfaces has not been fully investigated. Here we cultured rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the surfaces of titanium dishes in osteogenic media containing calcein which is a calcium-binding fluorescence dye. On titanium dishes, MSCs showed high viability to adhere to the surfaces and excellent proliferation. At day 14 of culture, MSCs differentiated into osteoblasts to form mineralized matrices on titanium dishes as well as tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) dishes which are widely recognized as optimal culture substrates. Calcein was incorporated into the bone minerals fabricated by MSCs cultured on both substrates to show green emission under fluorescence microscopy. The fluorescence intensity was quantified with an image analyser during culture periods. These results indicate that the surfaces of titanium showed a high adhesion/proliferation potential to MSCs and that the titanium effectively supported the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs comparable to TCPS dishes. Therefore, the titanium is an effective scaffold that is applicable in bone reconstruction surgery.     

Requirement of serum components for the preservation of primordial germ cells in testis cords during early stages of testicular differentiation in vitro in the mouse

Mouse gonadal primordia were isolated from embryos on the 11th day of gestation and cultured in vitro. They developed into either testes or ovaries after 7 days of culture in Eagle's minimum essential medium (MEM) supplemented with horse serum, whereas they did not differentiate in MEM alone. We studied how serum components are required for testicular development in vitro. When gonadal primordia were cultured in MEM alone for the first 1-3 days and subsequently in MEM supplemented with serum, testis cords developed while germ cells disappeared or only a few remained in the testis cords. In contrast, when serum was present in the medium during the first day of culture and omitted thereafter, germ cells were retained within testis cords. These results suggested that some serum component(s) is specifically required by germ cells independent of testis cord organization. Of more than 10 serum components tested, low and very low density lipoprotein fractions increased the number of germ cells in testicular explants.     

Modulation of the morphology and glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis of human monocytes, induced by culture substrates

Monocytes were isolated from human blood and cultured in vitro on plastic culture dishes or on fibronectin-coated dishes. After 5 days in vitro, the cells on plastic dishes displayed marked morphological changes compared with day 1, with an epithelioid appearance resembling that of foreign-body cells. This transition was inhibited in cells cultured on fibronectin-coated dishes. 35S-labelled polysaccharides were isolated from the culture media after 24h incubation periods with inorganic [35S]sulphate. The cells cultured for 5 days on a plastic substrate synthesized, and secreted into the medium, an oversulphated galactosaminoglycan previously shown to contain 4,6-di-O-sulphated N-acetylgalactosamine units [Kolset, Kjellén, Seljelid & Lindahl (1983) Biochem. J. 210, 661-667]. In contrast, 35S-labelled polysaccharide produced by cells cultured on plastic for 1 day only, or on fibronectin for either 1 or 5 days, contained only minor amounts of such disulphated sugar units. These findings indicate that the formation of oversulphated chondroitin sulphate is coupled to the conversion of monocytes into epithelioid cells. Furthermore, they suggest that the overall process is induced by contact with artificial substrates, and that it may be regarded as the equivalent of a foreign-body reaction in vivo.     

Melanocyte-stimulating hormone and prolactin secretion in cell culture of estrogen-induced pituitary tumors in the hamster

Pituitary cells from hamsters bearing diethylstilbestrol induced renal adenocarcinomas were cultured in vitro. Dispersed cells in plastic dishes were viable for up to two weeks in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with 17.5% of 6:1 horse serum to fetal calf serum. The secretion of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone and prolactin into the medium were measured by radioimmunoassay. The concentrations of both were elevated by day 3 in the medium from the hyperplastic pituitaries obtained from the estrogen treated, tumor bearing hamsters. Neither DES (10(-8)M) nor tamoxifen (10(-7)M) influenced the secretion of either hormone and neither altered either cell number or DNA synthetic activity as measured by thymidine incorporation. The secretion of hormones and the growth of the pituitary cells were, however, decreased by charcoal treatment of the serum. The results suggest that the elevation of serum alpha-MSH and prolactin observed in DES implanted hamsters is due to pituitary secretion of the hormones but that DES probably does not act directly on the pituitary to control the secretion.     

巴什拜羊骨骼肌卫星细胞分离培养及诱导分化

为了获得巴什拜羊骨骼肌卫星细胞,本研究采集出生1日龄巴什拜羔羊后肢骨骼肌组织,采用两步酶消化法结合差速贴壁法分离纯化巴什拜羊骨骼肌卫星细胞,并对分离获得的骨骼肌卫星细胞进行了鉴定、传代培养及诱导分化等研究。结果表明,本研究采用的分离纯化方法可以高效获得巴什拜羊骨骼肌卫星细胞,RT-PCR检测结果表明骨骼肌卫星细胞标志性基因pax7、Myf5、MyoD、desmin和c-Met均呈阳性表达。获得的骨骼肌卫星细胞具有较强的增殖能力,连续传代12代,细胞的形态仍保持正常,且细胞的克隆形成率仍保持在50%以上,但是当细胞传代至第18代时,逐渐表现出较为明显的衰退。细胞的生长符合典型的"S"型生长曲线,且第2代和第8代细胞的生长曲线没有明显的差异,至第14代时细胞的增殖速度逐渐降低。采用低浓度马血清培养体系,可成功诱导巴什拜羊骨骼肌卫星细胞向肌管方向分化,诱导培养至第5天时,骨骼肌卫星细胞分化标志基因MyHC呈阳性表达。由此得出结论,本研究采用的骨骼肌卫星细胞分离纯化体系高效、可靠,可以满足较高纯度巴什拜羊骨骼肌卫星细胞的分离培养。     

Osteogenic differentiation of human periosteal-derived cells in a three-dimensional collagen scaffold

This study examined the osteogenic differentiation of cultured human periosteal-derived cells grown in a three dimensional collagen-based scaffold. Periosteal explants with the appropriate dimensions were harvested from the mandible during surgical extraction of lower impacted third molar. Periosteal-derived cells were introduced into cell culture. After passage 3, the cells were divided into two groups and cultured for 28 days. In one group, the cells were cultured in two-dimensional culture dishes with osteogenic inductive medium containing dexamethasone, ascorbic acid, and β-glycerophosphate. In the other group, the cells were seeded onto a three-dimensional collagen scaffold and cultured under the same conditions. We examined the bioactivity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), the RT-PCR analysis for ALP and osteocalcin, and measurements of the calcium content in the periosteal-derived cells of two groups. Periosteal-derived cells were successfully differentiated into osteoblasts in the collagen-based scaffold. The ALP activity in the periosteal-derived cells was appreciably higher in the three-dimensional collagen scaffolds than in the two-dimensional culture dishes. The levels of ALP and osteocalcin mRNA in the periosteal-derived cells was also higher in the three-dimensional collagen scaffolds than in the two-dimensional culture dishes. The calcium level in the periosteal-derived cells seeded onto three-dimensional collagen scaffolds showed a 5.92-fold increase on day 7, 3.28-fold increase on day 14, 4.15-fold increase on day 21, and 2.91-fold increase on day 28, respectively, compared with that observed in two-dimensional culture dishes. These results suggest that periosteal-derived cells have good osteogenic capacity in a three-dimensional collagen scaffold, which provides a suitable environment for the osteoblastic differentiation of these cells.     

Normal human endometrial cells in culture: Characterization and immortalization of epithelial and stromal cells by SV 40 large T antigen

Summary— Thirty endometrial biopsies were cultured in order to separate stromal and epithelial cells. Using epidermal growth factor (EGF), cortisol, cholera toxin, insulin with 5% horse serum for epithelial cells or a medium with 20% fetal calf serum for stromal cells, we could specifically enrich endometrial culture in epithelial or stromal cells and culture them for 1 or 2 months. These cultures retained the phenotypic characteristics of epithelial (cytokeratins, mucin HMFG 1) and stromal (vimentin, smooth muscle actin, desmin) lineage by immunostaining analysis. Epithelial and stromal cultures from one individual were respectively immortalized by the SV 40 large T antigen. The immortalized cell lines kept the phenotype of the normal cells from which they derived.     

Isolation and cell culture of the epithelial cells of cauda epididymidis of the bull

A simple and rapid method has been described to isolate the epithelial cells of cauda epididymidis of adult bull. Perfusion of the lumen of the cauda epididymidis with 1 mg/ml collagenase in calcium- and magnesium-free Hank's balanced salt solution and incubation of the tissue at 37 degrees C for 90 min releases the principal and basal cells into the lumen. Several individual epithelial cells and cell aggregates without the contamination of stromal or smooth muscle cells can be flushed out at the end of incubation. The isolated epithelial cells, suspended in Dulbecco's medium with 10% horse serum, attach to plastic dishes within 3 h after seeding the cells and proliferate to form a monolayer in approximately 8-12 days. The electron microscopic study and immunostaining of the cultured epithelial cells indicate that the cultured cells are principal cells. The basal cells of the intact cauda epididymidis of bull show within their cytoplasm the presence of varying amounts of "lipid-like" material often closely associated with whorls of membrane.     

Primary culture of chick embryo skeletal muscle on dextran microcarrier

We report the conditions to obtain primary suspension cultures using embryonic skeletal muscle from 12-day chick breast muscle. Further, the conditions are described to obtain scanning electron micrographs of whole cells and transmission electron micrographs of sections of plastic-embedded cells on microcarriers. A positively charged hydrated dextran microcarrier, Cytodex I (Pharmacia), provided support for the cells; the myogenic stages of proliferation, myoblast alignment and fusion to form myotubes coincided temporally with replicate cultures grown on gelatin-coated plastic dishes. Microcarrier-grown cells, including non-muscle cells, had microvilli, lamellipodia, bleb, and other surface modifications but no ruffling membranes. Myoblasts and myotubes on beads had fewer microvilli compared to homologous cells grown in the static culture medium of plastic dishes. Myoblasts aligned laterally during fusion, starting at 48 h. Myotube cytodifferentiation proceeded to myofibril formation by day 4 of microcarrier culture. The sarcomeres of aligned myofibrils had normal banding with an hexagonal lattice of thick and thin myofilaments in the A-bands. Caveolae intracellulares and sarcoplasmic reticulum were evident. Scaling-up to larger volumes promises to provide a cost-effective way to obtain a large harvest of cultured skeletal muscle which may prove especially useful for studies of minor constituents.     

Viability maintenance of mammary epithelial cells in vitro

Mammary epithelial cells were isolated from mice lactating for 6 to 10 days and incubated in plastic culture dishes for 10 days. Viability of the cells was tested daily for 8 different treatment regimens including control (Minimum Essential Medium and antibiotics). Tested in cultures were horse serum, a collagen gel matrix, the lactogenic hormones prolactin, insulin, cortisol and all combinations of the above. Effectiveness of treatment was compared each day using the Duncan's New Multiple Range Test (DNMRT) and over the entire 10 day experimental period using regression analysis. After 1 day the collagen gel matrix was the most effective treatment followed by lactogenic hormones and horse serum. On days 2, 4 and 5, horse serum alone was the best treatment while day 3 demonstrated a slight superiority for hormones only. By day 6, and until day 10, a combination of horse serum and hormones maintained viability most successfully. The second and third most effective treatments during this portion of the experimental period were a combination of all three components and hormones alone, respectively. These data support the concept of complex support for mammary epithelial cell viability by a collagen gel matrix accompanied by three known hormones and unknown factors in horse serum.     

Polarization of thyroid cells in culture: evidence for the basolateral localization of the iodide "pump" and of the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor-adenyl cyclase complex

When cultured in collagen gel-coated dishes, thyroid cells organized into polarized monolayers. The basal poles of the cells were in contact with the collagen gel, whereas the apical surfaces were facing the culture medium. Under these culture conditions, thyroid cells do not concentrate iodide nor respond to acute stimulation by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). To allow the free access of medium components to the basal poles, the gel was detached from the plastic dish and allowed to float in the culture medium. After release of the gel, the iodide concentration and acute response to TSH stimulation were restored. Increased cAMP levels, iodide efflux, and formation of apical pseudopods were observed. When the thyroid cells are cultured on collagen-coated Millipore filters glued to glass rings, the cell layer separates the medium in contact with the apical domain of the plasma membrane (inside the ring) from that bathing the basolateral domain (outside the ring). Iodide present in the basal medium was concentrated in the cells, whereas no transport was observed when iodide was added to the luminal side. Similarly, an acute effect of TSH was observed only when the hormone was added to the basal medium. These results show that the iodide concentration mechanism and the TSH receptor-adenylate cyclase complex are present only on the basolateral domain of thyroid cell plasma membranes.     

The influence of plasma lipoproteins on steroidogenesis of cultured ovine fetal and neonatal adrenal cells

The present study examined the effects of serum and lipoproteins on the function of cultured adrenal cells from 115-127-day-old ovine fetuses and from newborn lambs. On day 1 of culture, corticosteroid output was similar in medium containing 2% horse serum or in serum-free medium, both for fetal and neonatal cells. However, on day 5, cells cultured in the absence of serum produced smaller amounts of these steroids than cells maintained in medium containing serum; the difference was more marked under ACTH1-24 stimulation. Conversely, cAMP production was never lower in the absence than in the presence of serum. When stimulated by ACTH1-24 on day 2 of culture, fetal or neonatal adrenal cells incubated in the presence of a saturating concentration of ovine LDL produced more corticosteroids than cells incubated in serum-free medium; HDL also enhanced ACTH1-24-induced steroidogenesis, but to a lesser extent. VLDL was effective only with neonatal cells. In fetal and neonatal cells cultured for 6 days in ACTH-free medium, VLDL and LDL increased ACTH-induced steroidogenesis, but HDL did not. On the other hand, when cells were cultured in the presence of ACTH1-24, LDL and HDL were equipotent in supporting ACTH1-24-induced steroid output. Three major lipoprotein fractions were observed in serum of fetal and newborn lambs. The concentration of cholesterol was very low in the VLDL fraction of fetuses, but it was similar to that of newborns in LDL. Conversely, 4 times more cholesterol was present in HDL of newborns than in HDL of fetuses. These results suggest that: (i) after several days of cell culture, cholesterol availability is an important limiting factor for the steroidogenesis of cells maintained under serum-free conditions; (ii) both an "LDL pathway" and an "HDL pathway" are operating in adrenal cells from fetal as well as newborn sheep; (iii) LDL and HDL are important physiological sources of cholesterol to support steroidogenesis by fetal and neonatal adrenal cells.     

Culture of epithelial cell lines in chemically defined media on microcarriers in biogenerators

A rat liver epithelial cell line has been propagated on microcarriers in 11 or 21 laboratory culture vessels for cell culture in suspension on microcarriers (biogenerators) with Ham F10 or DME as basal synthetic culture medium either serum-supplemented (SSM), or serum-free (SFM), or serum- and protein-free (SPFM). Without serum, the use of DME allows a cellular growth in the biogenerator at least equivalent to that obtained in culture dishes. For the cultivation on microcarriers in SFM in a biogenerator the use during the first day of culture of spent serum-free medium previously incubated (SFMI) in confluent culture dishes avoids the substratum treatment with serum. Results concerning the Vero cell line cultured in SPFM are shown.     

Establishment and conditions for growth and differentiation of a myoblast cell line derived from the semimembranosus muscle of newborn piglets

To establish an adequate model to study the proliferation and differentiation of porcine skeletal muscle in response to bioactive compounds, a pool of satellite cells was derived from the semimembranosus muscle (SM) of newborn piglets using a Percoll gradient centrifugation. The final yield amounted to 4.1 × 10⁶ cells/g muscle tissue. The percentage of muscle satellite cells has been determined by immunostaining for desmin and subsequent fluorescence analysis by flow cytometry, which revealed 95% of desmin-positive cells. For proliferation studies, satellite cell born myoblasts were seeded in gelatin-coated 96-well microplates at about 5 × 10³ cells per well. Cells were grown for 1 day in MEMα plus 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 10% horse serum (HS), followed by 2 d cultivation in serum-free growth medium. For differentiation studies, myoblasts were cultured in matrigel-coated 24-well plates for 4 d with growth medium containing 10% FBS and 10% HS. At 80% confluence, cells were grown for 24 h in medium plus 10% FBS and 1 μM insulin to initiate differentiation. Subsequently, the cells were cultured in serum-free differentiation medium (SFDM) for 3 d to form myotubes. Cultures reached a maximum fusion rate of approximately 20% after 96 h. By establishing this culture system, we provide an advanced and appropriate in vitro model to study porcine skeletal muscle cell growth and differentiation including the responses to various bioactive compounds.     

用Vero细胞制备马抗狂犬病血清抗原

以Vero细胞为基质制备马抗狂犬病血清用抗原,以期建立有效、经济、简便的抗原制备方法。用含10％马血清营养液对Vero细胞作适应性培养,接种狂犬病毒,以含1％～3％马血清营养液作维持液培养病毒,于第5,8天收获病毒液,经灭活、浓缩、离心等制成抗原。第5,8天收获病毒滴度可稳定在7．010gLD50／mL以上,灭活抗原具良好的抗原性,用NIH法测定效价达6．0IU／mL以上,可用作抗原生产抗狂犬病血清。     

Extracellular Matrix Constituents and Pigment Cell Expression in Primary Cell Culture

Three types of pigment cells were isolated and cultured from larval Rana pipiens, and their attachment, maintenance, and proliferation were examined in the presence of extra-cellular matrix constituents (ECMs) in primary cell culture. The initial profile of pigment cell types present on day 2 of culture reflects the relative attachment of the cells to the dishes. Changes in the numbers of cells present after day 2 reflects the influence of factors present in the culture media on the maintenance, proliferation, or detachment of each type of pigment cell. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) promoted melanophore expression, but inhibited iridophore expression. FBS had no effect on xanthophores. In contrast, ventral skin conditioned medium (VCM), which contains melanization inhibiting factor, strongly stimulated iridophore expression, while it markedly inhibited melanophore expression. VCM had little effect on xanthophores. Of the ECMs tested, collagen type I had no effect on pigment cells. Fibronectin slightly inhibited melanophore expression, while it moderately stimulated iridophores and xanthophores. The stimulatory effect of fibronectin was not as strong as that of FBS or VCM. Laminin was also tested; however, it did not allow pigment cells to attach to the dishes, at least under the culture conditions utilized. The results of these experiments are discussed in terms of the general mechanisms of pigment pattern formation.     

Generation of a multi-layer muscle fiber sheet from mouse ES cells by the spermine action at specific timing and concentration

Here, we show that spermine can induce the generation of a multi-layer muscle fiber sheet (MMFS) in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. ES cells were cultured by the hanging drop method and embryoid bodies (EBs) that formed after 2 days of culture were transferred to a 24-well dish (1 EB/well) containing differentiation medium. EBs cultured in the absence of spermine showed no evidence of differentiation of contractile muscle fibers. In contrast, the addition of spermine (0.5-1.0 mM) for 24 hr on day 12 of culture was found to result in the formation of contractile muscle fibers around the EBs by day 17, with further differentiation into MMFS by day 32. We found that spermine could only induce muscle cell differentiation in EBs during a limited period of culture. Moreover, high concentrations of spermine inhibited muscle fiber generation. Histochemical analysis showed that the MMFS induced by spermine had a heterogeneous architecture. Heart muscle cells appeared to be predominant in some regions, as evidenced by the expression of the markers atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and connexin 40 (Cx40), while skeletal muscle appeared to predominate in other regions, as indicated by the expression of MyoD. DNA array analysis showed specific enhancement of expression of muscle cell genes, supporting our conclusion that spermine induces differentiation of muscle cells in vitro.     

Cell transformation in isolated striated muscle of hydromedusae independent of DNA synthesis

Monotypical isolated and cultivated striated muscle was demonstrated to change (metaplasia) into a cell type possessing flagellae and other characteristics of smooth muscle cells [4]. In situ and within the first 48 h following isolation, no DNA synthesis is observed in striated muscle tissue. However, between the 2nd and 3rd day in culture, approximately one day prior to the formation of flagellae, a dramatic burst of DNA synthesis is observed. In the presence of low concentrations of mitomycin-C which inhibited DNA synthesis, the transformation process from striated to smooth muscle was virtually unaffected. Increasingly higher concentrations of mitomycin-C, which completely inhibited DNA synthesis yet inhibited flagellae formation when administered immediately following isolation, had only a graduated effect on flagellae formation which was inversely proportional to the length of time in culture before treatment, and the concentration employed. The results represent the first clear case of transformation of a differentiated cell type to another distinct type without going through the S phase of the cell cycle.     

Modulation by extracellular matrices of monooxygenase and CYP1A1 induction in Hep G2 cells in serum-free culture

The in vitro cellular functions of differentiated cells are influenced by culture conditions. Effects of several extracellular matrices (ECMs) on cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenases (MFOs) induction and cytochrome P4501A1 (CYP1A1) gene expression were estimated in Hep G2 cells cultured in a serum-free medium. The cells were cultured on collagen type I- and II-, fibronectin-, and matrigel-coated dishes and MFO activities were induced by the addition of 3-methylcholanthrene (MC). The induction of ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase (ECOD) and alkoxyresorufin O-dealkylase activities as well as the expression of CYP1A1 mRNA were also determined. ECOD and methoxy- and ethoxyresorufin O-dealkylase activities in Hep G2 cells were enhanced by culturing the cells using a serum-free medium on fibronectin- or matrigel-coated dishes. ECOD activity on fibronectin-coated dishes was about 3-fold higher than that using a serum-supplemented medium on untreated dishes. Furthermore, both immobilized and soluble fibronectin enhanced the induction of MFOs. The expression of CYP1A1 mRNA using fibronectin-coated dishes was about 2-fold higher than that using a serum-supplemented medium on untreated dishes. These findings suggest that the gene expression in cultured cells is greatly influenced by ECMs. By using fibronectin-coated dishes to cell culture in a serum-free medium, reproducible and highly sensitive results can be obtained in experiments using cultured cells. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.