Growth and differentiation potentials in confluent state of culture of human skeletal muscle myoblasts

The transitional behaviors of myoblasts toward differentiation were investigated in the cultures at the low and high seeding densities (respectively, X0 = 1.0 × 103 and 2.0 × 105 cells/cm2). In the culture at the low seeding density, an increase in confluence degree accompanied a decrease in growth potential (Rp), being Rp = 0.85 and 0.11 at t = 48 and 672 h, respectively. Myoblasts seeded at the high density resulted in the immediate cessation of growth with keeping the low range of Rp = 0.02–0.09 throughout the culture. The reduction of Rp led to the generation of three subpopulations of cells in proliferative, quiescent and differentiated states. Close cell contacts in the confluent state of high seeding culture induced cell quiescence to a higher extent with suppressing differentiation.