V. Gerfault et al., The effect of GH and IGF-I on preadipocytes from Large White and Meishan pigs in primary culture, GEN C ENDOC, 114(3), 1999, pp. 396-404
Proliferation and differentiation of preadipocytes from 7-day-old Large Whi
te (LW) and Meishan (MS) pigs were studied in primary culture. The effects
of porcine GH (pGH) and IGF-I as well as the expression of GH (GHR) and IGF
-I (IGF-IR) receptors mRNA were examined. Preadipocytes were exposed to ser
um-supplemented and serum-free medium to determine proliferation and differ
entiation, respectively. Proliferation was higher in MS than in LW pigs. Tr
eatment with pGH (2 nM) or IGF-I (10 nM) resulted in a similar decrease in
proliferation in LW and MS pigs. Parameters assessing differentiation and t
he effects of pGH and IGF-I on differentiation did not differ between the t
wo breeds. The percentage of differentiating cells and LPL and ME activitie
s were markedly reduced by pGH. IGF-I did not reduce differentiation signif
icantly. Both GHR and IGF-IR mRNA were expressed in adipose tissue, adipocy
tes, preadipocytes, and 6-day-cultured cells from LW and MS pigs. The simil
ar action of pGH and IGF-I on preadipocyte proliferation and differentiatio
n, associated with the similar expression of GHR and IGF-IR mRNA in LW and
MS pigs, suggests that the GH/IGF-I axis is not impaired in MS pigs. The di
fference in preadipocyte proliferation observed between LW and MS pigs coul
d account for their adiposity difference. (C) 1999 Academic Press.