title: [Study on the differentiation of marrow mesenchymal stem cells of the rats mediated by bone morphogenetic protein 2].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effect of age and gene therapy on the differentiation of marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of the rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  MSCs from the young (1-month-old), adult (9-month-old), and the aged (24-month-old) rats were expanded in culture and infected with adenovirus mediated human bone morphogenetic protein 2 gene (Ad-BMP-2). The expression of BMP-2 and osteoblastic markers such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP), collagen I (Col I), bone sialoprotein (BSP) and osteopontin (OPN) were assayed during the process of differentiation. Their abilities to induce ectopic bone formation in nude mice were also tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in the expression of BMP-2 among the 3 groups. ALP activity assay and semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) demonstrated that there were no significant differences in the expression of osteoblastic markers ALP, Col- I, OPN and BSP among the 3 groups. Histomorphometric analysis indicated that there were no significant differences in the volume of the newly formed ectopic bones in nude mice among the 3 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MSCs obtained from the aged rats can restore their osteogenic activity following human BMP-2 gene transduction,therefore provides an alternative to treating the aged bone disease.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Ninth Peoples' Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University Medical School, Shanghai 200011, PR China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Yanfei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Chaofeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jueren
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.forename: Kerong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 / Q000235:genetics*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D011923:Rats, Nude; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2