Abstract
The effect of chicken IGF-I on protein synthesis of chicken embryo myoblasts cultured in serum-free medium was examined. When myoblasts were expanded to approximate 20-30% of well, the medium was changed to the serum-free medium including 0, 2, 20, 200 or 2000 ng/ml of recombinant chicken IGF-I. The culture medium including 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) was used as positive control. After 1 day of incubation, protein synthesis was measured by the incorporation of [$^3H$]-L-leucine. Thereafter cells were continued to incubate for further 18 hours, and the radioactivity in the protein was measured as an index of protein synthesis. The values for protein synthesis cultured in the serum-free medium without chicken IGF-I or with 2000 ng/ml of chicken IGF-I were the lowest. Protein synthesis was elevated with increasing chicken IGF-I concentration from 0 to 20 ng/ml. The values for protein synthesis in the 20 ng/ml and 200 ng/ml IGF-I groups were about half of that of the FCS group. The present study revealed that the potency of chicken IGF-I at the levels of 20 to 200 ng/ml to stimulate myoblast protein synthesis was about half of that of 10% FCS.