Effects of Pluronic F-68 on 2-deoxyglucose uptake and amino acid incorporation into chick embryonic fibroblasts in vitro.

The effects of the nonionic surfactant Pluronic F-68 on 2-deoxyglucose uptake and amino acid incorporation in vitro into chick embryonic fibroblasts prepared from day 7 embryos have been studied. During early culture growth (3-10 days), Pluronic supplementation at 0.05% (w/v), but not at 0.1%, stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake by 20%-30% above control levels. Pluronic also markedly increased amino acid incorporation, maximally at 3 days of culture (200%-300% above control levels with 0.1% and 0.05% Pluronic, respectively), but to a lesser extent thereafter. These effects of Pluronic were seen only when freshly-prepared solutions were used; 'aged' solutions produced no comparable stimulation of 2-deoxy-glucose uptake or amino acid incorporation.