title: Restricted growth potential of rat neural precursors as compared to mouse.
abstract: Epidermal growth factor (EGF) responsive precursors isolated from the developing mouse striatum could be continually expanded in culture as free-floating spheres of cells for over 50 days. Under identical conditions, EGF-responsive precursors from the developing rat striatum could only be expanded for between 21 and 28 days, after which crisis ensued and there was a reduction in cell number at each passage. The outer regions of 28-day-old rat spheres contained a heterogeneous population of both dividing and dying cells while the cores were full of dying cells, many of which showed features consistent with apoptosis. Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) alone did not lead to an expansion in rat striatal precursor cell number under the conditions used here. EGF combined with FGF-2 acted synergistically on cell growth, but did not prevent the final senescence and death of the rat precursors.
authors.affiliation: MRC Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair, Cambridge University Forvie Site, UK. cns1000@hermes.cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Svendsen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skepper
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Rosser
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: ter Borg
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tyres
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ryken
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor