The effects of GM1 and bFGF synergistically inducing adult rat bone marrow stromal cells to form neural progenitor cells and their differentiation.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of GM1 on inducing adult rat bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) to form neural progenitor cells and their differentiation.


METHODS
Purified MSCs were induced by different components of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) alone, GM1 alone or combination of bFGF with GM1. After 3 days' incubation, fibronectin and collagen I were detected with immunocytochemistry, and nestin was detected with immunofluorescence. Neuron-specific enolase (NSE), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and galactose cerebroside (GalC) were detected with immunocytochemistry after 7 days' incubation.


RESULTS
After induction with bFGF alone or combination of bFGF and GM1, some MSCs exhibited the phenotypes of neural progenitor cells, and then neurons and astrocytes. In these two groups, the positive cells for fibronectin and collagen I decreased markedly after 3 days' induction. At the same time, the positive cells for nestin increased markedly. After 7 days' induction, NSE and GFAP-positive cells increased significantly. Furthermore, the addition of bFGF and GM1 caused the maximal variation. However, addition of GM1 alone had no inductive effects.


CONCLUSIONS
Combination of bFGF with GM1 may synergistically promote the transformation of MSCs and differentiation into neurons and astrocyte-like cells. The results suggest a promising route for the application of MSCs.
Zhang
Hui
H
Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China. huizhang-sun@yahoo.com
Wang
Ji-zuo
JZ
Sun
Hong-yu
HY
Zhang
Jian-ning
JN
Yang
Shu-yuan
SY
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004357:Drug Synergism; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011336:Probability; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure
D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside