Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026
Differentiated Mouse Adipocytes in Primary Culture: A Model of Insulin Resistance
Published on: February 17, 2023
[Establishment of insulin-resistant muscle cell model induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha]
Zhaofeng Zhang1, Ming Zhao, Junbo Wang
1Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
Objective:
To establish a convenient and reliable insulin-resistant cell model induced by TNF-alpha for studying the mechanisms of insulin-resistance and screening medical drugs or functional foods assisted in improving insulin-resistance.
Methods:
L6 cells in TNF-alpha group, insulin group and TNF-alpha plus insulin group were improving incubated in culture medium containing 10 ng/ml TNF-alpha, 100 nmol/L insulin and both 10 ng/ml TNF-alpha and 100 nmol/L insulin respectively for 24 hours. The glucose remained in culture medium was measured by the method of glucose oxidizes peroxides (GOD-POD). The glucose uptake of L6 cells was measured by [3H]-2-deoxyglucose.
Results:
With no insulin stimulation, the glucose remained in culture medium in TNF-alpha group was equal to that in the control group (P > 0.05). With insulin stimulation, the glucose remained in culture medium in insulin group was much lower than that in TNF-alpha group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
The insulin resistance in L6 cells could be induced by high concentration of TNF-alpha. The IR model of skeletal muscle cell could be widely used for studying the mechanism of insulin resistance and for screening medical drugs and functional food assisted in reducing blood sugar.
