In vitro effects of thyroxine and insulin on myoblasts from chick embryo skeletal muscle

Thermal manipulation during embryogenesis affects myoblast proliferation and skeletal muscle growth in meat-type chickens

Thermal manipulation (TM) of 39.5°C applied during mid-embryogenesis (embryonic d 7 to 16) has been proven to promote muscle development and enhance muscle growth and meat production in meat-type chickens. This study aimed to elucidate the cellular basis for this effect. Continuous TM or intermittent TM (for 12 h/d) increased myoblast proliferation manifested by higher (25 to 48%) myoblast number in the pectoral muscles during embryonic development but also during the first week posthatch. Proliferation ability of the pectoral-muscle-derived myoblasts in vitro was significantly higher in the TM treatments until embryonic d 15 (intermittent TM) or 13 (continuous TM) compared to that of controls, suggesting increased myogenic progeny reservoir in the muscle. However, the proliferation ability of myoblasts was lower in the TM treatments vs. control during the last days of incubation. This coincided with higher levels of myogenin expression in the muscle, indicating enhanced cell differentiation in the TM muscle. A similar pattern was observed posthatch: Myoblast proliferation was significantly higher in the TM chicks relative to controls during the peak of posthatch cell proliferation until d 6, followed by lower cell number 2 wk posthatch as myoblast number sharply decreases. Higher myogenin expression was observed in the TM chicks on d 6. This resulted in increased muscle growth, manifested by significantly higher relative weight of breast muscle in the embryo and posthatch. It can be concluded that temperature elevation during mid-term embryogenesis promotes myoblast proliferation, thus increasing myogenic progeny reservoir in the muscle, resulting in enhanced muscle growth in the embryo and posthatch.

Some electrophysiological properties of developing rat skeletal myotubes grown in serum-free, chemically defined medium

Serum-free, chemically defined media have been reported to provide suitable conditions for growth and proliferation of mammalian skeletal muscle, but there is no information regarding the ability of myotubes to develop normal electrophysiological properties in these media. We have recorded transmembrane resting and action potentials from rat skeletal myotubes grown in both serum-containing (GM) and serum-free chemically defined (CDM) growth media. Muscle cells in CDM do not develop as high resting Em as their counterparts in conventional growth media. CDM myotubes also had a lower incidence and frequency of spontaneously occurring action potentials. Treatment with ouabain or decrease in temperature of the recording medium reduced resting Em of both GM and CDM cells to the same level. We found that the sensitivity of CDM cells to ouabain was about 10-fold higher than that of GM cells. An increase in temperature of the recording medium increased Em of GM myotubes but not of CDM myotubes. The change in resting Em in response to a 10-fold change in extracellular K(+)-ion concentration was the same for both groups of cells thus indicating that there was no difference in membrane permeability to K(+)-ion. We conclude that the difference in Em can be accounted for largely, if not entirely, by differences in activity or amount of electrogenic Na(+)-K(+) ATPase.

Regulation of bovine satellite cell proliferation and differentiation by insulin and triiodothyronine

Satellite cells activity contributes to postnatal muscle growth. Herein, we have studied the respective influence of insulin and triiodothyronine (T3) on the proliferation and differentiation of primary bovine satellite cells isolated from Semitendinosus muscle of Montbéliard steers. Under basal conditions, satellite cells proliferated until the fifth day of culture, began to fuse into myotubes and expressed differentiation markers such as connectin, myogenin, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms. Insulin behaved as an effective mitogen. Moreover, it promoted extensive myotube formation and enhanced differentiation as shown by an increase in the accumulation of differentiation markers. Maximal differentiation occurred with insulin physiological range concentrations. A delay in the stimulation of differentiation was registered with a high dose that promoted maximal proliferation. Conversely, T3 decreased cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, fusion and biochemical differentiation (accumulation of connectin, MyoD1, myogenin, and myosin heavy chain isoforms) were also enhanced. Bovine satellite cells seemed to respond differentially to insulin and T3 for proliferation. Interestingly, both hormones displayed a myogenic influence. Our observations suggest that both hormones could influence bovine satellite cells in vivo and contribute to the regulation of postnatal muscle growth.

Serum-free culture conditions for analysis of secretory proteinases during myogenic differentiation of mouse C2C12 myoblasts

We have been studying extracellular proteins such as proteinases and attachment factors under serum-free culture conditions. A number of studies on myogenesis using an in vitro culture system have reported that proteinases and ECM components play significant roles in muscle differentiation. However, most of the studies were performed in the presence of serum. Serum is abundant in the aforementioned proteins and its use in serum-free culture affects many cellular functions significantly. In this study, we tried to establish serum-free culture conditions for analyzing extracellular proteins involved in mouse myogenic differentiation. By evaluating media, supplements, and procedure of cell inoculation under serum-free conditions and by comparing the resultant conditions with conventional conditions on differentiated characteristics of the cells, it was revealed that serum-free Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/Ham's F-12 plus insulin more efficiently supported myogenesis morphologically and biochemically than conventional 2% horse serum-containing culture and that secretory proteinases obtained from our serum-free culture were different from those obtained utilizing conventional serum-free cultures in their activities and patterns. Since our serum-free medium consists of simple components, the medium is low cost and easy to prepare. Furthermore, the results suggest that our culture conditions are superior to conventional conditions biochemically and morphologically and will provide more precise and accurate information on extracellular proteins involved in myogenesis.

Comparison of the effects of thyroxine and triiodothyronine on protein turnover and apoptosis in primary chick muscle cell cultures

Primary chick muscle cells were treated with physiological level of thyroxine (T4) or triiodothyronine (T3) to examine the effects of the hormones on growth, protein turnover, and apoptosis of the cells. Creatine kinase activity, as an index of differentiation, was increased by both T4 and T3. Even when the conversion from T4 to T3 was blocked by iopanoic acid, T4 increased creatine kinase activity. The rate of protein degradation estimated from [3H] tyrosine release was increased by T3 but not by T4. DNA cleavage and fragmentation, as indices of apoptosis, were induced by T3 but not by T4. These results show that T4 stimulates cell differentiation but not protein degradation and apoptosis in primary chick muscle cells, while all events are stimulated by T3.

The role of the IGFs in myogenic differentiation

Of the three families of growth factors/hormones (the FGFs, TGF-betas, and IGFs) that have major effects on the differentiation of skeletal muscle cells, only the IGFs stimulate the process; indeed, the IGFs are the only well-defined agents thus far shown to stimulate myogenesis. All of these agents affect the expression of myogenin, one of the recently discovered family of myogenesis controlling genes, and TGF-beta and FGF inhibit the expression of MyoD1 as well. (L6 cells do not express MyoD1, so we have not looked for an effect of IGFs on it.) At least partly as a result of this action, these agents inhibit or stimulate all aspects of myogenic differentiation--fusion, expression of a set of muscle-specific proteins, and attainment of a postmitotic state--in all tested cell lines and primary muscle cell cultures. It is becoming clear that the myogenic controlling genes are capable of regulating expression of genes for the entire family of muscle specific proteins, so the principal question remaining about actions of these growth factors is the mechanism by which they inhibit or induce expression of the myogenin or MyoD1 genes. In spite of the uncertainty about their interactions, the discovery of the myogenesis controlling genes now provides a much sharper focus for studies on the processes involved in terminal differentiation of skeletal muscle cells. The demonstration that expression of these genes is controlled, both positively and negatively, by specific growth factors that are now readily available opens exciting new possibilities in endocrinology and developmental biology.

Improved media for normal human muscle satellite cells: serum-free clonal growth and enhanced growth with low serum

We have developed a serum-free medium for clonal growth of normal human muscle satellite cells (HMSC). It consists of an optimized nutrient medium, MCDB 120, plus a serum-free supplement, designated SF, that contains epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin, dexamethasone, bovine serum albumin, and fetuin. Fibroblast growth factor was needed with dialyzed fetal bovine serum (dFBS) as the only other supplement, but in media containing SF, it was only slightly beneficial, and was omitted from the final medium without significant loss. Clonal growth of HMSC in MCDB 120 plus SF is as good as with 15% serum and 0.5% chicken embryo or bovine pituitary extract. However, growth is further improved by use of a doubly-supplemented (DS) medium containing both SF and 5% dFBS. Clonal growth of HMSC in the DS medium far exceeds that in previous media with any amount of serum, and monolayer growth is at least equal to that in conventional media with higher levels of serum. Cells grown in these media exhibit little differentiation, even when grown to high densities. However, they retain the capacity for extensive fusion and synthesis of increased creatine kinase when transferred to a serum-free differentiation-promoting medium, such as Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium plus insulin. All experiments were done with clonal cultures of HMSC to insure that observed growth responses were always those of muscle cells.

The role of hormones and prostanoids in the in vitro proliferation and differentiation of human myoblasts

Fetal human myoblasts have been employed to examine the role of hormonal factors in human myogenesis. The results show that human myoblast proliferation is stimulated by insulin, hydrocortisone, and prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha). Exposure of human myoblasts preparing to differentiate to either PGE2 or isoproterenol results in the precocious initiation of differentiation (i.e., cell fusion and increase in creatine kinase activity). Three antagonists of prostanoid synthesis, indomethacin, aspirin, and DL-6-chloro-alpha-methylcarbozole-2-acetic acid, inhibit cell number increase with complete inhibitions of proliferation at 5 X 10(-5) M indomethacin and 6 X 10(-4) M aspirin. Reversal of the indomethacin-imposed block is achieved by prostaglandin F2 alpha. The same antagonists of prostanoid synthesis, when added to older cultures, depress prostaglandin E (PGE) levels and inhibit human myoblast differentiation. During differentiation, PGE is present in both the intracellular compartment (0.47 to 0.66 pmol/microgram DNA) and the culture medium (1.83 to 4.53 nmol PGE). The results suggest a role for prostanoids in the regulation of both human myoblast proliferation and differentiation. They also demonstrate that the active cyclooxygenase products are produced endogenously by the in vitro myogenic population. The findings are discussed within the context of what is known of the relationship between growth factor and prostanoid actions and the roles of these two categories of hormones in the regulation of myogenesis.

Hormonal control of muscle growth

In muscle of whole animals, pituitary growth hormone, the thyroid hormones, and insulin are major growth-promoting hormones, and the glucocorticoids have significant catabolic actions. At the cellular level the primary anabolic hormones for cultured myoblasts are the somatomedins (insulin-like growth factors) and fibroblast growth factor. In these cells physiological concentrations of growth hormone, thyroid hormones, and insulin have no growth-promoting effect; some of the reported actions of insulin probably result from cross-reaction with the somatomedin receptor. Results with purified proteins do not support the view that mitogens block myoblast differentiation; transforming growth factor-beta and interferon are nonmitogenic proteins that inhibit differentiation, insulin-like growth factors are mitogens that stimulate differentiation, and fibroblast growth factor is the only purified mitogen that inhibits differentiation. At least six serum-free media have now been devised for the growth of various kinds of muscle cells under closely defined conditions.

L-triiodothyronine stimulates growth by means of an autocrine factor in a cultured growth-hormone-producing cell line

L-Triiodothyronine (T3) stimulates DNA synthesis and replication of cultured GC cells, a T3-responsive growth hormone (GH)-secreting cell line. To determine whether T3 stimulates secretion of an autocrine growth factor, we compared the growth-promoting activity of medium conditioned by T3-stimulated and T3-depleted cells to that of unconditioned medium. Addition of polyclonal rabbit anti-T3 serum to T3-containing media decreased cellular T3 content by 50-70%. In unconditioned medium, anti-T3 serum decreased T3-induced cell growth and GH production by 40-70%. In conditioned medium, anti-T3 serum also effected a 45-70% decrease in induction of GH secretion but did not attenuate the growth-promoting activity. Growth-promoting activity was not detected in medium conditioned by T3-depleted cells. Thus, conditioned medium from T3-containing GC cell cultures contains growth-promoting activity that is independent of T3. Further, the induction of GC cel growth by T3 may occur, at least in part, by induction of an autocrine growth factor.

In vitro myotrophic effect of serum kappa chain immunoglobulins from a patient with kappa light chain myeloma and muscular hypertrophy

Muscle hypertrophy due to enlarged muscle fibers was accompanied by kappa light chain myeloma in a 62-yr-old man. Immunofluorescence showed kappa light chain deposits around muscle fibers. We hypothesized that a circulating growth factor may be involved in the pathogeny of this muscular hypertrophy. Patient serum cultured with muscle cells showed that (a) the patient's serum exhibited a trophic effect on human muscle cells in culture, (b) this trophic effect increased the differentiation and did not influence the proliferation of human muscle cells, and (c) the fraction of the patient's serum immunoadsorbed on antihuman kappa chain antibodies exhibited the same in vitro effect on the muscle cells, whereas the fraction immunoadsorbed on antihuman lambda chain antibodies did not. These results support the hypothesis that the patient's kappa light chains have a specific enhancing effect on human muscle cell differentiation, perhaps leading to an acquired muscular hypertrophy.

Ontogenesis of triiodothyronine nuclear receptors in three skeletal muscles in male and female chicks

The ontogenesis of nuclear triiodothyronine receptors was determined in the pectoralis (alpha W fibers: fast contracting, glycolytic metabolism), adductor brevis (alpha R fibers: fast contracting, oxido-glycolytic metabolism) and adductor magnus (beta R fibers: slow contracting, oxidative metabolism), muscles of male and female chickens at 18 days in ovo and 0, 6, and 30 days ex ovo. In the fast muscles (adductor brevis and pectoralis major), the T3 receptor number decreases from the 18th day of incubation to hatching or the 6th day after hatching, respectively, and then increases. In the slow muscle (adductor magnus), the T3 receptor number increases from 18 days in ovo to hatching and then decreases. At 30 days after hatching, the number of T3 receptors was higher in the fast muscles than in the slow one. A comparison of the two fast muscles reveals that the number of T3 receptors was more elevated in the pectoralis (glycolytic) fibers than in the adductor brevis (oxido-glycolytic) fibers. An overall test of significance showed a higher number of T3 nuclear receptors in muscles from females than from males.

Biphasic concentration dependency of stimulation of myoblast differentiation by somatomedins

It is widely believed that mitogens inhibit in vitro differentiation of myoblasts to form postmitotic myotubes, but we and others have shown that the mitogenic hormones insulin and the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) stimulate myoblast differentiation. We now report the results of concentration-dependency studies that resolve this disagreement. We found that the IGFs give a biphasic dose-response curve; at low concentrations, there is progressive stimulation of L6 myoblast differentiation; at higher concentrations, there is a progressive decrease. Similar results were obtained with IGF-II and insulin. When differentiation was maximally stimulated (by 1,280 ng/ml insulin), adding rat IGF-II gave decreases in differentiation similar to those reported for other mitogens. Two trivial explanations have been eliminated: stimulation of differentiation (at low concentrations) is not due to enhanced survival or growth of the cells, and inhibition (at higher concentrations) is not a toxic effect. In L6 cells, epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor had no effect on proliferation or differentiation. We conclude that the effects of medium components on myoblast differentiation cannot be generalized to indicate inhibition by all mitogens; depending on the cell lines and concentrations used, certain mitogens may either stimulate or inhibit differentiation.

Postnatal histochemical fiber type differentiation in normal and hypothyroid rat soleus muscle

We have analyzed the effect of 6-propylthiouracil-induced hypothyroidism on neonatal fiber type differentiation in the rat soleus muscle. Body weight, total soleus fiber number, histochemical fiber type differentiation, and morphometry were determined at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. Neonatal hypothyroidism (1) inhibits the apparent approximately 50% increase in soleus muscle fiber number occurring at 14-21 days, (2) blocks the transformation of type 2C to type 2A fibers occurring between 14 and 21 days, (3) preferentially inhibits the increase in type 2 fiber diameter, and (4) retards the development of sarcoplasmic reticulum. Immature muscle fibers reveal type 1 and type 2 fiber myosin adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) differentiation at pH 10.3, which drops to pH 9.4 with maturation. No myosin ATPase differentiation was found at pH 9.4 in the hypothyroid animals, even at 28 days.

Modulation of hexose transport in cultured skeletal muscle

The modulation of hexose transport due to insulin and glucose starvation was investigated in cultures derived from the breast musculature of embryonic quail. Fused myotubes at 37 degrees C exhibited a saturable, stereospecific basal uptake of both D-glucose and 3-O-methylglucose which was markedly inhibited by cytochalasin B, a potent inhibitor of hexose transport in other cell systems. In the presence of insulin, 3-O-methylglucose uptake was stimulated relative to untreated controls. Kinetic analysis indicated that insulin increased the Vmax of transport with no significant increase in the apparent Km. Incubation of myotubes in glucose-free medium for 24 h resulted in an increase in D-glucose and 3-O-methylglucose transport activity. Cycloheximide abolished this stimulation effect when it was included during the starvation period, but had no effect on transport in glucose-fed cells. Insulin binding studies on these myotubes indicate that high-affinity insulin receptors are present and continue to increase throughout the life of the culture. This high-affinity binding as well as the capacity to degrade insulin in these cells is characteristically similar to effects observed in other insulin-sensitive cell systems.

Muscle development in thyroidectomised chickens (Gallus domesticus)

The metabolic and contractile activity of muscle was determined in immature cockerels made hypothyroid by surgical thyroidectomy at 6 weeks of age. Four weeks after thyroidectomy the activity of Mg2+-activated myofibrillar ATPase and total phosphorylase was reduced in the fast-phasic, posterior latissimus dorsi (PLD) and scapulotriceps (ST) muscles. The activities of these enzymes were unaffected in the slow-tonic, anterior latissimus dorsi (ALD) muscle. Thyroidectomy had no effect on length of the muscles studied but reduced the weight of the ALD and ST muscles. These results suggest that hypothyroidism results in a "slowing down" of fast-phasic muscles, although it does not affect the activity of slow-tonic muscles.

Growth and differentiation of chicken embryo muscle cell cultures derived from fast- and slow-growing lines. Intrinsic differences in growth characteristics and insulin response

Primary myogenic cell cultures derived from 12-day embryos of genetically fast-growing chickens (fast cultures) and slow-growing chickens (slow cultures) were grown under identical conditions to examine differences in growth and differentiation at the cellular level. The two types of cultures exhibited significant (P less than 0.01) differences in proliferation, protein accumulation, response to the addition of insulin to the culture medium and the amount of insulin bound per nucleus. The fast cultures exhibited a larger number of both total nuclei and fused nuclei at 48, 72 and 96 h in culture, accumulated more protein per nucleus at 24, 48 and 72 h in culture and demonstrated a greater response to the addition of insulin to the culture medium, as reflected by increased fusion rate and protein accumulation at 24 h in culture. Maximal response to insulin in both types of cultures was obtained at 24 h to added insulin concentrations of 10(-10)-10(-9) M. Slow cultures bound more [125I]-insulin than fast cultures at 24 h in culture. These experiments suggest that different muscle growth potentials in animals of the same species are at least partly due to intrinsic cellular differences in the myogenic cells that give rise to adult muscle tissue.