Hello, I am culturing THP-1 cells and treating them with PMA. After harvesting them and seeding them on biomaterials, there are some "beads" appeared on them. What do you think are these? Are they contaminated? I am not clear because it is the first time I saw this happen. Thank you for your suggestion!
Hi. I don't think it is contaminated. But I would recommend you not to differentiate them followed by detaching them and seed them again. I would recommend you directly differentiate the THP-1 cells onto the biomaterial that you wanted them to attach to.
I think that your cells have been engaged their differentiation process.
No contamination were visible
The “beads” are lipid droplets. Oil Red O staining for transmitted light microscopy, or DiI staining for fluorescence would demonstrate the lipid. Oil Red O stains the neutral lipid core and DiI stains the polar lipid “shell” of lipid droplets.
Hi Ellen A G Chernoff . I am just curious, what causes the lipid droplets to form inside the THP-1 cells?
Your cells are forming foamy macrophages (foam cells) in respose to some culture component or stressor. Lipid is being taken up through fatty acid scavenger receptors like CD36, or other lipid transport molecules.
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