title: Isolation and propagation of mesenchymal stem cells from the lacrimal gland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previously, it was reported that the murine lacrimal gland is capable of repair after experimentally induced injury and that the number of stem/progenitor cells was increased during the repair phase (2-3 days after injury). The aim of the present study was to determine whether these cells can be isolated from the lacrimal gland and propagated in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lacrimal gland injury was induced by injection of interleukin (IL)-1, and injection of saline vehicle served as control. Two and half days after injection, the lacrimal glands were removed and used to prepare explants or acinar cells for tissue culture. Cells derived from the explants and the acinar cells were grown in DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. Cells were stained for the stem cells markers, nestin, vimentin, ABCG2, and Sca-1. Cell proliferation was measured using an antibody against Ki67 or a cell-counting kit. The adipogenic capability of these cells was also tested in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results show that nestin-positive cells can be isolated from IL-1-injected, but not saline-injected, lacrimal glands. A population of nestin-positive cells was also positive for vimentin, an intermediate filament protein expressed by mesenchymal cells. In addition, cultured cells expressed two other markers of stem cells, ABCG2 and Sca-1. These cells proliferated in vitro and can be induced to form adipocytes, attesting to their mesenchymal stem cell property.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Murine lacrimal glands contain mesenchymal stem cells that seem to play a pivotal role in tissue repair.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Dentistry, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Claire L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Kublin
authors.forename: Orna
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Avidan
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miyasaki
authors.forename: Driss
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zoukhri
mesh_terms: D000070997:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000378:metabolism; D050156:Adipogenesis; D000818:Animals; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D007765:Lacrimal Apparatus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000070997:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; C501412:Abcg2 protein, mouse; D000950:Antigens, Ly; D015415:Biomarkers; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; C074650:Ly6a protein, mouse; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577485:Nes protein, mouse; D064231:Nestin; D014746:Vimentin