Oxygen-carrying Perfluorochemical Emulsions Improve Insect Fat Body Culture Performance

-The effect of an oxygen-carrying perfluorochemical emulsion (perttuorotri-n-butylamine) (PFE) on the oxygenation of larval Manduca sexta fat body culture was tested. Two different parameters, protein synthesis and secretion and ATP levels, were measured to evaluate the effect of PFE. After incubation for 21 h the ATP levels in fat body incubated in the presence of PFE were similar to those found in vivo; and significantly higher than in fat body incubated without PFE. The rate of protein synthesis and secretion increased with the concentration of PFE in the medium, up to a concentration of 20%. During incubation for 15 h a 10-fold higher rate of protein synthesis and secretion into the culture medium was found in the presence of PFE, compared to incubations without PFE. The synthesis and secretion of two major proteins produced by the fat body, arylphorin and high density lipophorin, was confirmed by immunoprecipitation. The results show that PFE improves the performance of cultured fat body tissue. Key Word Index: Manduca sexta; fat body culture; perfluorochemical