title: Human fetal chromaffin cells: a potential tool for cell pain therapy.
abstract: Transplantation of adrenal medulla cells has been proposed in the treatment of various conditions. Indeed, these cells possess a bipotentiality: neural and neuroendocrine, which could be exploited for brain repair or pain therapy. In a previous study, we characterized these human cells in vitro over 7-10 gestational weeks (GW) [Zhou, H., Aziza, J., Sol, J.C., Courtade-Saidi, M., Chatelin, S., Evra, C., Parant, O., Lazorthes, Y., and Jozan, S., 2006. Cell therapy of pain: Characterization of human fetal chromaffin cells at early adrenal medulla development. Exp. Neurol. 198, 370-381]. We report here our results on the extension to 23 GW. This developmental period can be split into three stages. During the first stage (7-10 GW), we observed in situ that extra-adrenal surrounding cells display the same morphology and phenotype as the intra-adrenal chromaffin cells. We also found that the intra-adrenal chromaffin cells could be committed in vitro towards an adrenergic phenotype using differentiating agents. During the second stage (11 to 15-16 GW), two types of cells (Type 1 and Type 2 cells) were identified morphologically both inside and outside the gland. Interestingly, we noted that the Type 2 cells stem from the Type 1 cells. However, during this developmental period only the intra-adrenal Type 2 cells will evolve towards an adrenergic phenotype. In the third stage (17-23 GW), we observed the ultimate location of the medulla gland. Both the in situ results and the in vitro experiments indicate that particular procedures need to be implemented prior transplantation of chromaffin cells. First, in order to obtain a large number of immature chromaffin cells, they must be isolated from the intra and extra-adrenal gland and should then be committed towards an adrenergic phenotype in vitro for subsequent use in pain therapy. This strategy is under investigation in our laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pain and Cell Therapy EA 3039, Rangueil Medical School, Histology-Embryology Department, 31062 Toulouse Cedex, France. jozan@cict.fr
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jozan
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aziza
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Châtelin
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Evra
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Courtade-Saïdi
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Parant
authors.forename: Jean Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sol
authors.forename: Huafang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lazorthes
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000166:cytology; D000328:Adult; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D019439:Chromaffin Cells / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007700:Kinetics; D059408:Pain Management; D011247:Pregnancy; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D012313:RNA