Effects of gender-specific adult bovine serum on myogenic satellite cell proliferation, differentiation and lipid accumulation.

The study was performed to explore the effects of adult bovine male serum (MS), female serum (FS), and castrated male serum (C-MS) on myogenic satellite cells (MSCs) proliferation and differentiation into myotubes or into adipocyte-like cells (ALCs). MSC proliferation and differentiation was highest in the medium supplemented with MS, implying the important role of male steroid hormones. Myogenin and desmin were highly upregulated in cells cultured in MS-supplemented medium. In contrast, lipid accumulation in ALCs was highest in the medium supplemented with FS. Fatty acid transporter (FAT/CD36) was upregulated in FS-supplemented cultures. Detection of higher FAT/CD36 inducing fatty acids (arachidic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid) in FS compared with MS and C-MS suggests that these fatty acids may have influenced the enhanced formation of lipid droplets in ALCs. Effect of sex steroids on cell proliferation and cell growth of bovine MSCs and C2C12 cell in C-MS was greater than charcoal-dextran-treated fetal bovine serum (CDFBS). Concluding the above facts, the results indicate that each gender-specific bovine serum constitutes of different component, which leads to unique effects on cell behavior.