Location
Sydnor Performance Hall, Schewel Hall
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Presentation Type
Oral presentation
Entry Number
92
Start Date
4-16-2026 3:00 PM
End Date
4-16-2026 3:15 PM
School
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Department
Biology
Abstract
Macrophages are specialized white blood cells that play a significant role in bodily immune functions -- fighting pathogens, promoting tissue repair, initiating inflammatory responses, and more. Mammalian macrophages are often grown in nutrient-dense solutions known as cell-culture media, such as DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium) or RPMI (Roswell Park Memorial Institute) 1640. DMEM is typically supplemented with glucose (4.5 g/L), while RPMI 1640 contains only 2 g/L, a low glucose condition. The higher glucose content, commonly found in DMEM, is presumed to support the aerobic metabolism of the proinflammatory phenotype of macrophages – commonly referred to as M1. Previous evidence in the lab demonstrated that the mouse macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7, did not perform as well in RPMI 1640 when grown in low glucose. The addition of glucose in RPMI 1640 at 4.5 g/L returns macrophage response levels to normal. Our experiment is designed to test the effect of glucose levels on RAW 264.7 responses in DMEM only. RAW 264.7 cells are grown in high glucose, low glucose, and low then high glucose (to test recovery). Cells are collected and plated at 4x10⁵ cells/mL in a 24-well plate. After incubating overnight, the cells are stimulated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide in a dose-responsive fashion (0–100 ng/mL) for 24 hours. Nitrite levels in the supernatants are then determined using a Greiss reaction. The results of this experiment suggest that RAW 264.7 cells do not perform as well in low glucose DMEM following stimulation with lipopolysaccharides. Recovery of macrophages grown in low glucose and switched back to high glucose DMEM show incomplete recovery, but they still do not perform as well as those grown in high-glucose DMEM. This is consistent with previous studies using low glucose media.
Primary Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Freier
Primary Faculty Mentor(s) Department
Biology
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Effect of glucose levels in DMEM on RAW 264.7 murine macrophage response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide
Sydnor Performance Hall, Schewel Hall
Macrophages are specialized white blood cells that play a significant role in bodily immune functions -- fighting pathogens, promoting tissue repair, initiating inflammatory responses, and more. Mammalian macrophages are often grown in nutrient-dense solutions known as cell-culture media, such as DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium) or RPMI (Roswell Park Memorial Institute) 1640. DMEM is typically supplemented with glucose (4.5 g/L), while RPMI 1640 contains only 2 g/L, a low glucose condition. The higher glucose content, commonly found in DMEM, is presumed to support the aerobic metabolism of the proinflammatory phenotype of macrophages – commonly referred to as M1. Previous evidence in the lab demonstrated that the mouse macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7, did not perform as well in RPMI 1640 when grown in low glucose. The addition of glucose in RPMI 1640 at 4.5 g/L returns macrophage response levels to normal. Our experiment is designed to test the effect of glucose levels on RAW 264.7 responses in DMEM only. RAW 264.7 cells are grown in high glucose, low glucose, and low then high glucose (to test recovery). Cells are collected and plated at 4x10⁵ cells/mL in a 24-well plate. After incubating overnight, the cells are stimulated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide in a dose-responsive fashion (0–100 ng/mL) for 24 hours. Nitrite levels in the supernatants are then determined using a Greiss reaction. The results of this experiment suggest that RAW 264.7 cells do not perform as well in low glucose DMEM following stimulation with lipopolysaccharides. Recovery of macrophages grown in low glucose and switched back to high glucose DMEM show incomplete recovery, but they still do not perform as well as those grown in high-glucose DMEM. This is consistent with previous studies using low glucose media.