title: Lecithinized brain-derived neurotrophic factor promotes the differentiation of embryonic stem cells in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: The addition of lecithin molecules to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been reported to markedly enhance its pharmacological effect in vivo. In the current study, we show that lecithinized BDNF (PC-BDNF) has a higher affinity than BDNF for neural precursor cells. Although BDNF only slightly increased the expression of the genes for Mash-1, p35, 68 kDa neurofilament, and TrkB receptor, PC-BDNF caused a significant increase in their expression. PC-BDNF also increased the level of neurofilament protein and dramatically increased TrkB mRNA gene expression, which was followed by a sustained activation of the p42/p44 extracellular-regulated kinases. Finally, transplantation of PC-BDNF-treated cells was more effective than BDNF-treated cells at improving impaired motor function caused by spinal cord injury. These findings showed that PC-BDNF has a better potential than BDNF for promoting neural differentiation, partly due to a higher cellular affinity. Furthermore, PC-BDNF-treated cells could be useful for transplantation therapy for central nervous system injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Frontier Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki 216-8512, Japan. akikit@marianna-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Mitsuko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takenaga
authors.forename: Kayo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Yukie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokura
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ichinohe
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Igarashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines