Characterization of a bovine intestinal myofibroblast cell line and stimulation using phytoglycogen-based nanoparticles bound to inosine monophosphate

The goal of the present study was to characterize a novel bovine intestinal myofibroblast (BT-IMF) cell line isolated from a fetal bovine intestine. This cell type is of importance as intestinal myofibroblasts play a key role in controlling intestinal epithelial cell proliferation, intestinal regulation, wound healing, epithelial cell turnover, and structural support. The present work demonstrates that BT-IMF cells could be successfully cryopreserved and thawed and cultured past 25 passages. Immunocytochemical staining of the BT-IMF cell line was positive for vimentin and smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and negative for pancytokeratin, suggesting that the cells are myofibroblastic in type. Growth kinetic experiments demonstrate that hydrocortisone negatively impacts BT-IMF growth and non-essential amino acids enhance its proliferation. Inosine monophosphate (IMP) is a dietary nucleotide and is essential for supporting animal health. Stimulation with IMP bound to a novel phytoglycogen-based nanocarrier (IMP-NP) showed enhanced cell proliferation. BT-IMF provides a new tool for studying bovine cells in vitro and may be of particular interest for cultured meat manufacturing in the future.