Effects of medium and substratum on ovine satellite cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation in vitro

The ability of ovine-derived satellite cells to attach, proliferate and differentiate in response to seven horse serum-supplemented media and eleven substrata was evaluated in vitro. Satellite cells attached equally well when exposed to CRCM-30, Medium-199 and high glucose Dulbecco's modified Eagles medium (DMEM, P less than 0.05). Proliferation of satellite cells was greatest using McCoy's 5A, supplemented with 15% horse serum (P less than 0.05), and differentiation was most efficient with low glucose DMEM, supplemented with 1% horse serum (P less than 0.05). Pig-skin gelatin facilitated the greatest ovine satellite cell proliferative and differentiative responses when compared to the performance of ten other substrata (P less than 0.05). Further, 0.5 mg/16 mm2-well pig-skin gelatin appeared to be the optimum concentration of substratum for expression of satellite cell growth characteristics. Thus, consideration must be given to the processes of attachment and proliferation in experiments attempting to maximize satellite cell differentiation in vitro.