title: Forskolin cooperating with growth factor on generation of dopaminergic neurons from human fetal mesencephalic neural progenitor cells.
abstract: Forskolin was tested for its co-activating ability to enhance the function of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 8 on dopaminergic (DAergic) differentiation from human fetal mesencephalic neural progenitor cells (NPCs). When NPCs were treated with FGF8 alone, the DAergic phenotype was expressed lightly. The addition of 10 microM forskolin increased the number of DAergic neurons, cooperating with 50 ng/ml FGF8. These cells produced neurotransmitter DA, which was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that differentiated cells expressed DAergic development-relative genes tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), nuclear receptor-related factor 1 (Nurr1) and D2 receptor (D2R), indicating that matured DAergic neurons could be obtained under these present conditions. The results suggest that forskolin plus FGF8 may contribute to more efficient production of DAergic neurons from human-derived NPCs for therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100083, PR China.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaoxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Huifang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Linsong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaomin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005576:Colforsin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005333:Fetus; D051524:Fibroblast Growth Factor 8; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C496456:FGF8 protein, human; D051524:Fibroblast Growth Factor 8; D005576:Colforsin; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D004298:Dopamine