Insulin stimulation of protein synthesis in cultured skeletal and cardiac muscle cells.

The effects of acute exposure to insulin on protein synthesis were examined in primary, differentiated cultures of embryonic chick heart and skeletal muscle cells. Synthetic rates were calculated using the specific activity of tRNA-bound leucine as precursor, a specific activity that was significantly less than that of extracellular leucine but greater than that of free, intracellular leucine at 0.2 mM external leucine. Insulin did not alter these relationships. Doses of insulin in the physiological range produced significant stimulation of protein synthesis in both cell types. Maximal responses, involving approximately 30% increases in both absolute and fractional rates, were observed at higher insulin concentrations. Significant stimulation by insulin was seen in cardiac cells after only 1 h of insulin treatment, and the effects of the hormone were observed both in the presence and absence of serum in the culture medium.