title: Hepatocyte growth factor promotes neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells derived from embryonic stem cells.
abstract: We previously reported that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) promoted proliferation of neurospheres and neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) derived from mouse embryonic brain. In this study, spheres from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells were generated by floating culture following co-culture on PA6 stromal cells. In contrast to the behavior of the neurospheres derived from embryonic brain, addition of HGF to the growth medium of the floating cultures decreased the number of spheres derived from ES cells. When spheres were stained using a MAP-2 antibody, more MAP-2-positive cells were observed in spheres cultured with HGF. When HGF was added to the growth and/or differentiation medium, more MAP-2-positive cells were also obtained. These results suggest that HGF promotes neuronal differentiation of NSCs derived from ES cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Neuroscience, Gifu University School of Medicine, 40 Tsukasa-machi, Gifu 500-8705, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.forename: Jouji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kokuzawa
authors.forename: Hideomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitajima
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaku
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwama
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shinoda
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kunisada
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor