media composition for smooth muscle cells - starvation and growth media (Aug/17/2007 )
Hi All
Could anyone help me complete/correct my knowledge about what is starvation and growth media . I am working with smooth muscle cells, mostly vascular.
THis is what I think:
Growth media:
1) growth media will help the cells to proligerate and grow ,
2) it should have serum (we use FBS 10% ) and L-glutamine and some antibiotic.
Starvation media:
1) Used to halt growth.
2) No or very low FBS
3) might allow maturation of cells or differentiation.
4) has L-glutamine and and antibiotic. why do we add L-glutamine
5) insulin and ascorbic acid and certain growth factors might be added . whyy do we add these
6) We also add transferrin , I dont know why!!!!
thanks
Please reply with comments, answers , suggestions. I am new to cell culture too.
Hi,
Yes, growth medium to grow, starving medium to halt (usually used to synchronize cells).
L-glutamine is an essential amino acids, unstable, need to provides nitrogen for precursors in macromolecule synthesis.
growth factor, of course to stimulate growth in a controlled condition. issue between low serum and growth factor is more to ethical issue, plus to lower contamination and cross reaction which might be caused by animal serum used in normal culture and antibody production. Try read this paper: Trend in Biotechnology, vol.24. year 2006.
ascorbic acid: =vit. C, antioxidants, important to protect esterified-nonesterified unsaturated fatty acid from lipid peroxidation-> free radicals can damage cells.
transferrin: bind ferric ion, extracellular antioxidants, free iron can catalyze the production of free radicals-> can damage cells.
Hope these information may help. 
can u please post the title of the article and/or the issue number of this article u r referring to
Yes, growth medium to grow, starving medium to halt (usually used to synchronize cells).
L-glutamine is an essential amino acids, unstable, need to provides nitrogen for precursors in macromolecule synthesis.
growth factor, of course to stimulate growth in a controlled condition. issue between low serum and growth factor is more to ethical issue, plus to lower contamination and cross reaction which might be caused by animal serum used in normal culture and antibody production. Try read this paper: Trend in Biotechnology, vol.24. year 2006.
ascorbic acid: =vit. C, antioxidants, important to protect esterified-nonesterified unsaturated fatty acid from lipid peroxidation-> free radicals can damage cells.
transferrin: bind ferric ion, extracellular antioxidants, free iron can catalyze the production of free radicals-> can damage cells.
Hope these information may help.