Porcine satellite cells from large and small siblings respond differently to in vitro conditions

Clelland, Allyson and Stickland, Neil C. (2001) Porcine satellite cells from large and small siblings respond differently to in vitro conditions. Basic and Applied Myology. pp. 45-49. ISSN 1120-9992

Abstract

In order to detect the effects of intra-uterine variation on the performance of neonatal satellite cells, the following experimental model was devised. Satellite cells were removed from the m. semitendinosus of the largest and smallest siblings in six litters of pigs and cultured under standardised, high glucose, conditions to reach approximately 85% confluence. As the smallest piglet in a litter generally has a decreased growth rate in comparison to its larger littermates, it was expected that satellite cells derived from these piglets would also perform at a lower level. This was not found; satellite cells from small siblings proliferated at a significantly higher level than from larger siblings in all trials. This result implies that, instead of the satellite cells being detrimentally affected by early developmental events, they are in fact primed to react positively to any additional nutrition present in the surrounding environment.