title: Sambucus williamsii induced embryonic stem cells differentiated into neurons.
abstract: The pluripotent stem cells, including embryonic stem cells (ESCs), are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into any cell type, thus making them the focus of many clinical application studies. However, the efficiency of ESCs differentiated into neurons needs to improve. In this study, we tried to increase efficiently to a neural fate in the presence of various transitional Chinese medicines through a three-step differentiation strategy. From extracts of 10 transitional Chinese medicine candidates, we determined that Sambucus williamsii (SW) extract triggers the up-regulation of Nestin and Tuj1 (neuron cells markers) gene expression levels. After determining the different concentrations of SW extract, the number of neurons in the 200 μg/ml SW extract group was higher than the control, 50, 100, and 400 μg/ml SW extract groups. In addition, the number of neurons in the 200 μg/ml SW extract group was higher and higher after each time passage (three times). We also detected the Oct4, Sox2 (stem cells markers), Tuj1, and Nestin genes expression levels by RT-PCR. In the differentiated process, Oct4 and Sox2 genes decreased while the Tuj1 and Nestin genes expression levels increased. In summary, we demonstrated that SW could induce pluripotent stem cells differentiated into neurons. Thus, SW might become a powerful material for neurons-differentiating strategies.
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuropsychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, 404 Taichung, Taiwan ; Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, 404 No. 91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, Taiwan ; Department of Social Work, Asia University, 413 Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, 404 No. 91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuropsychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, 404 Taichung, Taiwan ; Graduate Institute of Immunology, China Medical University, 404 Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ru-Huei
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Genetics Center, Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, 404 Taichung, Taiwan ; Graduate Institute of Chinese Medical Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, 404 Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Chuen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Genetics Center, Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, 404 Taichung, Taiwan ; Graduate Institute of Chinese Medical Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, 404 Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-Yin
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuropsychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, 404 Taichung, Taiwan ; Graduate Institute of Immunology, China Medical University, 404 Taichung, Taiwan ; Department of Neurosurgery, China Medical University Beigan Hospital, 651 Yunlin, Taiwan ; Department of Neurosurgery, Tainan Municipal An-Nan Hospital-China Medical University, 709 Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shinn-Zong
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuropsychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, 404 Taichung, Taiwan ; Graduate Institute of Immunology, China Medical University, 404 Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Woei-Cherng
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Shyu
keywords: Differentiation;; Embryonic stem; Sambucus williamsii;; neurons;