Fig. 1

Overview of Percoll gradients employed and cell characteristics directly after isolation. a Trimmed muscle fragments from SM and LD muscle of 4-day-old piglets were digested with 0.25% trypsin and enriched at different Percoll layers by density gradient centrifugation. The collected cell populations are marked in gray, the erythrocyte fraction in black (E). A mixed myogenic population was isolated from the 40/70% interface (mixed P40/70) of a 25%, 40%, and 70% Percoll gradient and was separated into 40/50% and 50/70% subpopulations (SP40/50 and SP50/70) by the use of a second Percoll gradient with 25%, 40%, 50%, and 70% layers. b Cell yield, viability, and cell size of isolated cells from SM and LD muscle were determined, directly after isolation, with the Countess Automated Cell Counter. All data represent means ± SD, n ≥ 7 animals. The cell yield from SP40/50 and SP50/70 together did not differ from mixed P40/70, but SP40/50 showed a higher cell viability and cell size. A t-test was performed for the statistical analysis of differences in cell yield between mixed P40/70 and both subpopulations together. For the statistical analysis of cell viability, a Kruskal-Wallis One-Way ANOVA on Ranks was performed following a pairwise multiple comparison procedure (Dunn’s method). An ANOVA with the Holm-Sidak post-hoc test was performed for the statistical analysis of cell size. Letters mark significant differences within the populations (p ≤ 0.05)