title: Effect of type-2 astrocytes on the viability of dorsal root ganglion neurons and length of neuronal processes.
abstract: The role of type-2 astrocytes in the repair of central nervous system injury remains poorly understood. In this study, using a relatively simple culture condition in vitro, type-2 astrocytes, differentiated from oligodendrocyte precursor cells by induction with bone morphogenetic protein-4, were co-cultured with dorsal root ganglion neurons. We examined the effects of type-2 astrocytes differentiated from oligodendrocyte precursor cells on the survival and growth of dorsal root ganglion neurons. Results demonstrated that the number of dorsal root ganglion neurons was higher following co-culture of oligodendrocyte precursor cells and type-2 astrocytes than when cultured alone, but lower than that of neurons co-cultured with type-1 astrocytes. The length of the longest process and the length of all processes of a single neuron were shortest in neurons cultured alone, followed by neurons co-cultured with type-2 astrocytes, then neurons co-cultured with oligodendrocyte precursor cells, and longest in neurons co-cultured with type-1 astrocytes. These results indicate that co-culture with type-2 astrocytes can increase neuronal survival rate and process length. However, compared with type-1 astrocytes and oligodendrocyte precursor cells, the promotion effects of type-2 astrocytes on the growth of dorsal root ganglion neurons were weaker.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Chunling
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: The Vivian L Smith Department of Neurosurgery, UT Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaoxin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Xuegang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: The Vivian L Smith Department of Neurosurgery, UT Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Qilin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cao
keywords: NIH grant; astrocytes; bone morphogenetic protein; dorsal root ganglion; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; neurites; neurons; oligodendrocyte; oligodendrocyte precursor cells; spinal cord injury