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Title: A METHOD TO ESTABLISH CO-CULTURES OF MYOTUBES AND PREADIPOCYTES FROM COLLAGENASE DIGESTED NEONATAL PIG SEMITENDINOSUS MUSCLES

Author
item Hausman, Gary
item Poulos, Sylvia

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/20/2005
Publication Date: 7/20/2005
Citation: Hausman, G.J., Poulos, S.P. 2005. A method to establish co-cultures of myotubes and preadipocytes from collagenase digested neonatal pig semitendinosus muscles. Journal of Animal Science. 83:1010-1016.

Interpretive Summary: Fat cells in muscle or marbling fat cells develop later than other fat cells and recent studies indicate that it may be possible to preferentially increase marbling fat cell development. Co-cultures of marbling fat cell precursors and developing muscle cells were developed so the development of muscle cells and marbling fat cell precursors could be compared and studied under identical conditions. These co-cultures can be used to examine developmental relationships between muscle cells and marbling fat cell precursors. Furthermore, they can be used to screen for dietary supplements or growth promotants that differentially influence muscle cell and marbling fat cell development.

Technical Abstract: The relationships between adipocyte development and muscle cell development within muscle are important in the investigation and identification of factors or agents that may improve meat quality. Furthermore, these relationships are critically important to understanding glucose use and energy storage in muscle. Neonatal porcine muscle is ideally suited for examining relationships between developing adipocytes and muscle cells since it contains developing preadipocytes and adipocytes and a high number of satellite cells. We describe here methodology to effectively establish co-cultures of differentiating adipocytes and myotubes from collagenase digested neonatal pig muscle. Since the comparison is within the same culture dish, this methodology allows a direct comparison of the responses of adipogenic and myogenic cells to growth and differentiation factors. We also describe a very simple and effective means to obtain enriched satellite cell cultures from neonatal muscle.