title: Canine oligodendrocytes undergo morphological changes in response to basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in vitro.
abstract: The mature oligodendrocyte, though able to divide under certain circumstances, has been regarded as incapable of changing into a phenotypically plastic cell type. To further explore this question, we developed an in vitro system in which a virtually pure population of early postnatal canine oligodendrocytes were cultured in a serum free, defined medium. We tested the oligodendrocytes' morphological and mitotic responses to concentration of basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) ranging from 5 ng to 100 ng/ml. We found that bFGF effected both the morphology and mitotic potential of these cells. In addition, oligodendrocytes exposed to bFGF respond to 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) by undergoing morphological changes that are quite different than naive oligodendrocytes exposed to 10% FBS, suggesting that bFGF causes some fundamental change in plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, USA.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Duncan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004285:Dogs; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008938:Mitosis; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D013936:Thymidine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D013936:Thymidine