[Cultivation and differentiation of spinal cord-derived stem cells in vitro in rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the method of cultivation and the feature of differentiation of spinal cord-derived stem cells in vitro.


METHODS
The neural stem cells from spinal cord of 15 days fetal rats were harvested and cultivated in a serum-free limited medium. The stem cells were induced to differentiate and the results were identified by cellular immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
Lots of stem cells were obtained from the spinal cord of fetal rats and the sphere of stem cells was formed about 10 days. Neural stem cells can give rise to mature neurons and astrocytes.


CONCLUSIONS
Epidermal growth factor/basic fibroblast growth factor serum-free limited medium can promote the proliferation activity of the stem cells. Spinal cord-derived stem cells can differentiate into glial cells and neurons.
Department of Hand Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, PR China. wdh111@hotmail.com
Dehua
D
Wang
Jianguang
J
Xu
Hao
H
Jiang
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*
D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor