I don't know about that cell line specifically, but I believe it's usually included in cell culture media as an additional energy source (remember pyruvate is the end product of glycolysis and can be further metabolized, e.g. to acetyl CoA which can then be fed into the Krebs cycle or for fatty acid synthesis).
I don't know any other function for pyruvate other than as a source of carbon skeleton and energy. Possible reason might be some cell lines may not be able to utilize glucose for efficient cell proliferation. These cells rely heavily on pyruvate/glutamine for that matter.
Today I leave from the house and I shall be away from February, 20th till March, 26th, 2015
If you follow the recent literature about cancer ...or cell lines that are modified 'normal' cells, they use pyruvate as source of energy.
I want to notify that I shall be away from 20.02.2015 till 26.03.2015.
Sodium pyruvate is used by cells in cell culture as an easily accessible carbohydrate energy source. Additionally, it is involved with amino acid metabolism,it may also have protective effects against hydrogen peroxide.
If there is a Krebs cycle still there Ok but in cell culture the cell adapt to a new metabolism after awhile repeated culture...so either that of Krebs cycle ha adapted like in tumour cells...that needs to be verified...otherwise pyruvate is still a 'food' source for your fibroblast cells
Warburg O. The metabolism of tumors. London: Constable Co Ltd; 1930.
Feron O. Pyruvate into lactate and back: From the Warburg effect to symbiotic energy fuel exchange in cancer cells. Radiother Oncol 2009;92:329–33.
Dhup S, Dadhich RK, Porporato PE, Sonveaux P. Multiple biological activities of lactic acid in cancer: Influences of tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis. Curr
Pharmacol Design 2012;18:1319–30
I could be wrong about this, but as I recall, sodium pyruvate is also a buffer similar to sodium bicarbonate. Some cells prefer to be culture in medium containing sodium pyruvate (coronary venular endothelial cells) vs being cultured in sodium bicarbonate (MDA-MB-231).
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