title: Amniotic epithelial cells transform into neuron-like cells in the ischemic brain.
abstract: We investigated the potential use of rat amniotic epithelial (RAE) cells as donor cells for transplantation-based therapy in brain ischemia. In vitro, RAE cells were positive for both neuronal and neural stem cell markers, neurofilament microtubule-associated protein 2 and nestin. RT-PCR revealed that these cells express nestin mRNA. The RAE cells were transplanted into the hippocampus of adult gerbils that were subjected to temporal occlusion of bilateral carotid arteries. Five weeks after transplantation, grafted cells migrated into the CA1 pyramidal layer that showed selective neuronal death, and survived in a manner similar to CA1 pyramidal neurons. These results suggest that intracerebral transplantation of amniotic epithelial cells may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of ischemic damage in neuronal disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okawa
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakuragawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D000650:Amnion / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000628:therapy*; D002465:Cell Movement; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003470:Culture Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577486:Nes protein, rat; D064231:Nestin; D012333:RNA, Messenger