Effect of rat Schwann cell secretion on proliferation and differentiation of human neural stem cells.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of rat Schwann cell secretion on the proliferation and differentiation of human embryonic neural stem cells (NSCs).


METHODS
The samples were divided into three groups. In Group One, NSCs were cultured in DMED/F12 in which Schwann cells had grown for one day. In Group Two, NSCs and Schwann cells were co-cultured. In Group Three, NSCs were cultured in DMEM/F12. The morphology of NSCs was checked and beta-tubulin, GalC, hoechst 33342 and GFAP labellings were detected.


RESULTS
In Group One, all neural spheres were attached to the bottom and differentiated. The majority of them were beta-tubulin positive while a few of cells were GFAP or GalC positive. In Group Two, neural spheres remained undifferentiated and their proliferation was inhibited in places where Schwann cells were robust. In places where there were few Schwann cells, NSCs performed in a similar manner as in Group One. In Group Three, the cell growth state deteriorated day after day. On the 7th day, most NSCs died.


CONCLUSIONS
The secretion of rat Schwann cells has a growth supportive and differentiation-inducing effect on human NSCs.
An
Yi-Hua
YH
Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Beijing 100050, China. riveran@163.com
Wan
Hong
H
Zhang
Ze-Shun
ZS
Wang
Hong-Yun
HY
Gao
Zhi-Xing
ZX
Sun
Mei-Zhen
MZ
Wang
Zhong-Cheng
ZC
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D006801:Humans; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000166:cytology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*