Growth of human diploid fibroblasts in the absence of glucose utilization

Normal human diploid fibroblasts were able to undergo one to two cell divisions without glucose utilization in Eagle's minimum essential medium plus 10% dialyzed fetal calf serum if the medium was supplemented with hypoxanthine, thymidine, and uridine (supplemented medium termed HTU-MEM). Under these conditions, the added purine and pyrimidines were required for nucleic acid synthesis, as shown by the inability of Lesch-Nyhan fibroblasts to grow in HTU-MEM. Normal human diploid fibroblasts continued to produce lactate in HTU-MEM, but at a greatly reduced rate. Since cells grew in HTU-MEM without glucose utilization, the probable energy and carbon source was glutamine, which is present in relatively high concentration. Furthermore, the rate of glutamine utilization per cell division was 2-fold greater in HTU-MEM than in medium with 5.5 mM glucose. These results suggest that glutamine can be a major energy source for cells grown in vitro.